In the Royal Naval Cemetery in Portland, Dorset is the Commonwealth War Grave of TS1082 Trimmer Robert Potts serving on H.M. Trawler John Donovan with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 12/08/1915.

Colin Boyd has provided the following:

Robert was born in North Shields on 3rd December 1888 to William Potts, a sailor, and his wife Jane.  In 1891 Robert was living with his parents and four brothers at 29, Wellington Street, North Shields.

In 1905 Robert married Margaret Ponton and in 1911 the couple were living at 26, Church Way, North Shields with their children, Jane aged six and George aged one. Robert was working as a boiler scaler.

Robert enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve on 10th November 1914 when he was described as being 5 feet tall with brown eyes and a dark complexion. He was mobilised immediately and posted to the hired trawler “John Donovan” working as a minesweeper from Portland in Dorset.

Robert died in Portland Hospital on 12th August 1915 from the effects of submersion following an accident while on board his ship.

Robert Potts is remembered at North Shields on N34.77, at Tynemouth in T36.14 page 22 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.