On Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of 862EA Engine Room Artificer Albert Venis Robinson serving on H.M.S. Hawke with Royal Naval Reserve who died 15/10/1914.

The son of John William and Hannah M. Robinson, of Stockton on Tees and the husband of Jeannie Clarke (formerly Robinson), of 30, William Street, Stockton on Tees.

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-
Albert Venis Robinson was born on 14th January 1886 in Norton Road, Stockton on Tees, the son of steam train diver John William Robinson and his wife Hannah Mary, whose name before her marriage was also Robinson.  At the time their daughter Minnie was 3 years old.

The 1891 census shows Hannah and the two children living with her parents on their farm at Great Fryup, near Danby in North Yorkshire but ten years later the whole family were living in Providence Terrace, Stockton on Tees.

Aged 24 Albert enrolled with the Royal Naval Reserve on 2nd December 1910 and his first voyage was to Argentina, he was then granted leave of absence to serve on an Austrian ship in order to qualify as a 1st Class Engineer.  The 1911 census shows him in Newport, Monmouthshire serving as engineer on board the SS Stentor.

In spring of 1914 he married Stockton girl Jeannie Arnison and in August of the same year was called by proclamation into service with the Royal Navy for the duration of the war, and was posted to serve on H.M.S. Hawke.

On 15th October 1914 the Hawke was about 60 miles out from Aberdeen when she was hit amidships by a torpedo from a U-boat.  Struck near a magazine the ship sank within five minutes with the loss of 525 crew.  One of those whose body was never recovered was ERA Albert Venis Robinson.

His daughter, named Alberta Venus for her father, was born on 26th April 1915.

Albert Venis Robinson is remembered at Norton on Tees on N68.02, at Stockton on Tees in S138.18 and on our List of Ships’ Crews.