In Whitley Bay (Hartley South) Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave of:

R.G. Ritson
Telegraphist
C/JX 572380
H.M.S. “Stevenstone”
7th June 1944 age 19.

At the setting
of the sun
and in the morning
we will remember him.

Robert Graham Ritson was the son of Francis and Lilian Blanche Ritson, of Whitley Bay.

Kevin Marshall writes:
I am one of Robert’s Great nephews – my late father (David Ritson Marshall) was the son of one of Robert’s four sisters, Joyce Marshall (nee Ritson). The three other sisters were Mary and Florence (twins) and Raye. All siblings are now deceased.

From what I was told by the family, Robert was injured on D-Day during one of the landings their craft made that day, possibly shrapnel or a stray bullet, but he sadly succumbed to these injuries the day afterwards, I believe from septic shock. He was missed dearly by his family and they never forgot him.

The website D Day Overlord states:
H.M.S Stevenstone
In May 1944, as part of the preparations for the Normandy landing, it was integrated into Bombarding Force E, which was itself subordinated to Task Force J. On 3 May, HMS Stevenstone participated in the amphibious exercise Fabius and, during the night from June 5 to 6, 1944, it escorted the J9 convoy (comprising ten LSIs, three boats and two Coast Guard ships) across the English Channel to Juno Beach. On D-Day, it participated in the fire support of the Allied troops landing at Bény-sur-Mer.

The Newcastle Journal 10/06/1944 reports:-
RITSON. Whitley Bay, 4, Roxburgh Terrace, 7th. aged 19. Robert Graham, son of Frank and Lilian. Interment Monday, Whitley New Cemetery. 3.0

Robert Graham Ritson is remembered at Whitley Bay on W84.01 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.