On the Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of 759V Stoker Robert Thompson, serving on HMS Aboukir with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 22/09/1914.

Robert was born in South Shields on the 7th August 1876, baptised 21st January 1877 at St Hilda’s Church to Robert and Sarah Thompson. When he enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve on the 17th January 1899 he was living at 12, George Street, South Shields and working as a labourer at St. Hilda’s Colliery.

By the time of the 1911 Census Robert was living at 146, Alfred Street, South Shields with his wife, Florence, daughter Ruby aged 8, son Robert aged 7 and daughter Elizabeth aged 3 and he was working as a dockyard labourer at Tyne Dock. His other son William whose birth was in 1915, after his father’s death has a second name of Abouker as in H.M.S. “Aboukir”. Robert enlisted on the 17th January 1899

Robert was called up on the 18th August 1914 and was posted to H.M.S. Aboukir. ship number 108151. 5 feet 8 and a half inches, dark complexion, blue eyes. He was lost when the vessel was torpedoed off the Dutch Coast on 22nd September 1914 by the German U Boat U-9, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen, together with the Cressy and the Hogue.

Acknowledgments: Colin Boyd/U Boat net/James Hoy Archive.

Robert Thompson is remembered at South Shields on S86.008 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.