Reuben Thomas 'Ben' Drinkwater (13 February 1910 - 9 June 1949) born Rochdale

Rochdale

Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...

, Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

, England a railway signalman and motor-cycle racer who competed in the Isle of Man TT

Isle of Man TT

The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...

 Races and the Manx Grand Prix

Manx Grand Prix

The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course every year for a two-week period usually spanning the end of August and early September. The 'MGP' or 'Manx' is considered to be the amateur riders' alternative to the Isle of Man TT Races held in May and June...

.

After competing in the 1946 Manx Grand Prix the first post-war event on the Snaefell Mountain Course

Snaefell mountain course

Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course is a road-racing circuit used for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix Races held in the Isle of Man from 1911 and 1923 respectively. The racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald...

, Ben Drinkwater returned to race in the 1947 Isle of Man TT

1947 Isle of Man TT

After an eight year absence the 1947 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the first race festival since 1939 due to the interruption of World War II. With the restart of racing the ACU decided to add three Clubman class races for production machines and introduced these races for Lightweight, Junior and...

 races and finished in 3rd place in the controversial 1947 250cc Lightweight TT

Lightweight TT

The Lightweight TT was a motorcycle road race that was part of the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual motor-cycle event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976, the Lightweight TT Race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. The event was dropped from the 2005...

 Race won by Manliff Barrington

Manliff Barrington

Manliff Barrington Monkstown, County Dublin, was an Irish motorcycle racer famous for winning the Isle of Man TT races 2 times in his career.-Racing career:...

.

While racing in the 1949

1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the inaugural F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of six Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 600cc...

 350cc Junior TT

Junior TT

The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June...

 Race, the first ever race of the new FIM

Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....

 World Championship

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...

, Drinkwater collided with a bank trying to avoid a fellow competitor near Cronk Bane farm near the 11th milestone marker post and was killed. The distinctive S-bend corner on the Isle of Man

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

 Mountain Course near to where the accident occurred was renamed "Drinkwater's Bend" or the 11th Milestone

11th Milestone

11th Milestone or "Drinkwater's Bend" is a corner situated between the 11th Milestone and 12th Milestone road-side markers on the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT Races on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road which forms the boundary between the parishes of German and...

.

TT career summary

Finishing Position	3rd	4th	DNF
Number of times	1	1	3

External links

• TT database rider profile iomtt.com
• TT database TT results iomtt.com