Tank Bennett

One of the causes of the War of 1812, was the impressment of American sailors into the Royal Navy. But that was two centuries ago, and Yanks now, generally, do not serve in the British navy. As a result of love and an unexpected family history, Tank Bennett is said to be the only American sailor in the Royal Navy.

Born in Louisiana, he was serving in the US Navy on the USS Mahan, when he met his future wife, Diane, on a UK port call in Plymouth in 1989. They kept in touch, fell in love, married and settled in the United States. Tank promised Diane that if she ever wanted to move back to Plymouth, they would.  After a few years, she missed her family, so Tank quit the US Navy and they moved back to the UK. Things have changed since 1812. As a foreigner, Tank would have had a long wait to join the Royal Navy. After researching his family tree, he discovered that the father he never knew was, in fact, a British citizen. Tank had been raised by an uncle. He discovered that his family had a history of moving back and forth across the Atlantic. By virtue of his British heritage, Tank was able to join the Royal Navy.  His only real problem, so far has been his Louisiana accent. As noted by the Plymouth Herald:

Locals were bemused by the man in the Royal Navy uniform with the US Deep South drawl. He constantly explained that he was born in Louisiana and had served in the US Navy but now served in the Royal Navy and lived in Plymouth in the UK.

“They didn’t seem to get it, or the accent,” he says.

“So I gave up and told them I was Cornish.”

Meet Tank – the only US sailor in the Royal Navy

Thanks to Irwin Bryan for passing the story along.