Brenda Mcmahon has submitted the following :-
George was born at Gateshead 1 May 1899. His parents were George Henry and Elizabeth (nee Hails). His father was an engineer’s (pattern) maker. The couple had 6 sons and 1 daughter. William (baker with Co-op stores), David and Samuel (both coal screeners). Anthony, Mary Ann and Charles.
George joined the Royal Navy in May 1917 serving on H.M.S. Victory. In fact, Victory, is not a ship but a shore base at Portsmouth. After serving aboard other vessels George transferred to H.M.S. Glatton on 31 August 1918. Unfortunately only a few weeks later he was killed, aged 19 years by an internal explosion of the vessel, H.M.S. Glatton, whilst in Dover Harbour.
The explosion occurred in one of her 6” magazines following a severe fire however the devastation would have been much worse if the fire had spread to her main magazines and also vessels nearby which were packed with ammunition. If the fire had not been curtailed the town of Dover could have been annihilated.
Acknowledgments: Barney Rice
George Collingwood Robson is remembered at Low Fell on L61.02, L61.03 and L61.05 and on our List of Ships’ crews
