On Tower Hill Memorial is the name of First Mate Robert Dunn Balmain, serving on S.S. Madame Renee (Newcastle) with the Mercantile Marine who died 10/08/1918.

The husband of Isabella Wood Balmain (nee Waugh), of 6, Fawcett Street, South Shields. He was born at South Shields.

Robert Dunn Balmain was born in South Shields 1st August 1886.

In 1901 he resided at 31 Eldon Street, and had moved to 6 Fawcett Street before 1911. He attended what was then South Shields Grammar school and Westoe Secondary School.

He married Isabella Wood Waugh in 1906.

The SS Madame Renee was sailing about a mile off the Scarborough coast, when U-Boat UB-30 torpedoed the ship which sank the steamer. Her cargo was copper pyrites and was heading towards the Tyne from London. 10 of the 17 crew were killed, including First Mate, Robert Dunn Balmain, who drowned. He was aged 32.

Robert Dunn Balmain is remembered at Harton on H104.03,  at South Shields on S86.020 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.