In St. Thomas Churchyard is the Commonwealth War Grave  of:

R.E. Watson
Boy 2nd Cl. RN. J/83466
H.M.S. Ganges
26th June 1918 age 17

The son of William Watson, of 5, North View, Moss Side, Wrekenton, Gateshead.

John Taylor and Ann Norman have submitted the following:

Robert Ellerington Watson was born on 13th June 1901, the son of William, a coal miner, and his wife Florence, of 3 North View, Moss Side, Wrekenton.

He served with the rank of Boy, 2nd Class, on HMS Ganges, a training ship, with the service number J83466. He died from disease on 26th June 1918 at the age of 17, and is buried in St Thomas Churchyard.

William Kirby and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-

Robert was born on 13 June 1901 at Gateshead the son of parents William and Florence (nee Lowther). He had 5 brothers and 1 sister. They were Andrew (b 1896), Winifred (b 1898), George (b 1904), William (b 1908), Thomas (b 1910) and John (b 1913).

The 1901 shows the young family living at Foster’s Yard, Gateshead which like a number of premises in that area they were filthy and disease ridden. Only Andrew and Winifred were living at that time. Father William was a coal hewer.

By 1911 the family had moved to 5 North View, Wrekenton. There had been several additions to the household by then including Robert. His brother, Andrew (aged 15), was now working in the mine as a hanger-on underground.

Robert joined the Navy but being very young he was posted to H.M.S. Ganges which is a shore based establishment. It was also known as Shotley Training Establishment. Its purpose was to train boys for the service.

Robert’s records show him to have been 5 feet 6 inches tall, with blue eyes and a fresh complexion. His character was recorded as being very good. His first ship was the Ganges which he joined on 12 January 1918. Unfortunately, he only served for 5 months before he died.

The base suffered an outbreak of influenza and diphtheria whilst Robert was there but he actually died from phthisis. This disease is a form of pulmonary tuberculosis or a similar progressive wasting disease.

Less than a year before his death his mother, Florence, died in 1917 at the age of 42 whilst his brother, Andrew was to be die of wounds only weeks before the Armistice.

Robert Ellerington Watson is remembered at Eighton Banks on E50.01 and E50.02 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.