Ben Ibison, Jr. was born 6 Jan 1924 in Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., Ar. to George Benjamin Sr. & Minnie Lee Roose Ibison. 20 Apr 1942 Ben enlisted in the US Navy and served as a Seaman First Class. On 2 Dec 1942 Seaman 1st Class Ben Ibison was listed as missing in action or at Sea. He was aboard the M/S Besholt on that day, presumably on his way to the USA. His name is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the East Coast Memorial, Battery Park, New York City, USA. He also has a marker in the National Cemetery at Fort Smith, Sebastian co., Ar. There is more information below the photos. M/S Besholt Excerpts from https://warsailors.com/singleships/besholt.html US Passengers on board: George McIntyre. Richard Burke. Lloyd J. Miller. Jerry Backer, Johnny Yocoum, BEN ABESON (IBISON), Marion Nelson. 2 of the passengers survived but were not identified by name. Overall 14 people had died including an American female passenger (missionary), the Canadian Radio Operator and all the engine room crew on watch, 28 survived. Final Fate - December 2, 1942: Besholt was torpedoed on December 2-1942 by U-174 (Thilo) while on a voyage alone from Lobito, Portugese West Africa to New York via Trinidad for convoy with a cargo of 8000 tons copper, tin and palmoil, having departed Lobito on Nov. 23. She also had 32 bags of mail from Belgian Congo for New York. The torpedo hit in the engine room on the port side, she broke in 2 and sank very quickly in 03 20N 30 20W. On board were 35 crew and 7 passengers. The lifeboats on the port side were destroyed; but both starboard boats (Boat No 1 and No. 3) and the aft, heavily damaged motorboat were launched. Gunner Peder Johan Johannessen and 5 others were in the latter, then picked up others from the water, who had jumped overboard from the after part of the ship. "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland mentions the possibility that Besholt may have encountered the blockade runner Rhakotis earlier that day. The gunner, P. J. Johannessen says a large cargo ship with the neutral "Switzerland" painted on her side passed them, and at the same time another vessel was also observed on the horizon, but soon disappeared from view. The official report on the sinking of Besholt also mentions this, saying this mystery vessel had been seen about 5 1/2 hours before Besholt was sunk. The ship had 2 Swiss flags painted on her side, was about 5-7000 tons with one stack, half loaded, painted black and white, derricks up - ordinary general appearance. The report suggests that this may have been the Greek steamer Calanda (Galanda? Hard to decipher) which was under Swiss charter at the time and had left Lisbon on Dec. 21-1942 bound for Lourenco Marques, due to arrive Jan. 22-1943, but at the time this report was written (Jan. 25-1943) she had not yet arrived. The report indicates this ship may have blown off course, and could very well have been the vessel seen by Besholt on Dec. 2, though it also puts forth the possibility that it could have been a raider or a blockade runner disguised as a Swiss ship. (This seems odd, if the Swiss ship had left port on Dec. 21 - dates seem off). Gunner Johannessen's report also states that an hour before they were torpedoed he heard a strange sound coming from the port side, sounding to him like a submarine submerging. He reported this, and had the phone in his hand when he saw a torpedo coming, but it passed behind them at a 5 meters' distance. Shortly afterwards he saw another torpedo heading their way which also missed the stern, and again he reported the incident but no action was taken. About 10 minutes later the lookout came to the gunner and asked him if he too had seen a black object (which he believed to be a U-boat) going past them; he had reported this to the 1st mate, but was not believed. The gunner asked him to report to the 1st mate again and tell him what he himself had seen and heard, but still the alarm was not sounded until 18:40*, when the torpedo hit. This incident is also mentioned in the official report which operates with GMT and gives the time of the first sighting as 5 in the afternoon, and the time of sinking as 22:32 GMT. The report, which says Besholt was on charter to Barber Line Inc., New York at the time of loss, also has a very interesting, detailed description of the U-boat and of the commander.