Ben Jackson

Ben Jackson was a cockney sailor on the British Naval Ship HMS Teazer. He met Polly in the Inferno nightclub, shortly before accidentally leaving with the Doctor in his TARDIS.

Early life
Ben grew up opposite a brewery (DW: The Power of the Daleks) and revealed that he once had a headmaster who "got nicked for not paying his bus fare." (source?)

Travelling
Though they came from different class backgrounds, Polly, who he nicknamed "the Duchess", and Ben became good friends during their travels. They trusted each other, and their relationship was punctuated by good-natured teasing and banter. They complemented each other well, and created a good team. Whilst Polly created a chemical potion to kill the Cybermen on the Moonbase, Ben found the practical application of it - using fire extinguishers to deliver Cocktail Polly. (DW: The Moonbase)

Throughout his journeys Ben never lost sight of his desire to return home, and to his ship, the Teazer. When the opportunity arrived, Ben left with Polly. But before leaving, the pair insisted that they would stay if the Doctor needed the two of them. (DW: The Faceless Ones)

Ben was both practical and a realist. It took him some time to believe that the TARDIS really travels through time and space. He was also the most sceptical when the Doctor regenerated, believeing that the new incarnation of the Doctor was an imposter. It took a Dalek recognising the Doctor to finally convince Ben of the truth. (DW: The Power of the Daleks).

Ben was clever, and never shirked danger and action. He was sensible enough to realise that taking on a Cyberman with a screwdriver would be a big mistake, and managed to dazzle one with a film projector before killing it. Ben also worked out that the Cybermen were avoiding radiation, and helped devise a plan to destroy them using the Snowcap Base's reactor fuel rods. (DW: The Tenth Planet)

Ben might be headstrong and impetuous, but he proved to be mentally weaker than his companions when they faced the hypnotic processiong of the Macra. This aside, he did struggle to fight it, and failed to report Jamie for having taken an official's keys. (DW: The Macra Terror)

=Quotes=
 * See Ben Jackson - Quotes