Built by Craig, Taylor & Co Ltd., Stockton on Tees, she entered service with Joseph Hoult & Co. Ltd, Liverpool.

She was on a routine voyage from Tampa Bay, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia carrying a load of phosphate rock.

That same evening, the Robert C. Tuttle (544'x70') was en route to Atreco, Texas, under the command of Captain Martin Johansen.

Just before the collision, Captain Skjelbred made last-minute efforts to avoid the Robert C. Tuttle by ordering the engine full astern (fastest reverse).

On 10 April 1942, the crew of the salvage tug Willet examined the wreck and determined that the keel of the Benwood was broken, and she was a total loss.

This salvaging on the ship over the years prompted John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to form a protection program in 1959 to prevent further damage to the historical wreckage.