I
missed this one hundred year anniversary earlier in the year so I’m putting it
to right now.
Robert
Edward George (1857 – 1917) was a first cousin three times removed and I just
discovered this George story while snooping around the branches.
He
was a Skipper in the Royal Navy Reserve during World War I.
At
60 you'd expect to be sitting at home with expectations of retirement instead
Robert was skippering a war time trawler which in peacetime was owned by the Reunion
Steam Fishing Company in Grimsby. Robert was a local from Grimsby so presumably
he had an association with FV “Senator”. It had been requisitioned in August
1915 by the British Royal Navy as a minesweeper.
This
steam propelled 211 ton trailer was built in 1905 by Cook Weldon and Gemmell Ltd. For the duration of the war she was named HMT “Senator”
performing minesweeping and was armed with a 3 pound gun.
 |
| HMT "Senator" Casualties - Ancestry |
On
21 May 1917 she was sunk by a mine explosion off Tory Island in the north Coast
of Ireland by the German submarine U – 80 which was commanded by Alfred von Glassenapp.
Tory Island is a little island off the coast of Donegal, Ireland .Eleven
casualties including Robert Edward George resulted – husbands, brothers, sons.
Many
including Robert are remembered at the Chatham Naval Memorial.
Robert
was the husband of Patience who he married in 1877 and father to 6 children. He
was awarded a medal by King Haagen of Norway for saving lives at sea.
No comments:
Post a Comment