ANDERSON Robert Samuel

Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for navy casualties located in Worcester Cathedral.

The birth of Robert Samuel Anderson is registered in the September Quarter 1894 under the Worcester Registration District.

Robert Samuel Anderson enlisted for 6 years service in the Army Reserve in the 5th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment in Birmingham on 24th May 1910.  On his attestation paper he stated he was born in Worcester and gave his age as 18 years 1 month.  He was 5 feet 5¾ inches tall with grey eyes and black hair and he was employed as a labourer. On 24th January 1911 Private R.S. Anderson, 8540, was given final approval for enlistment as a regular soldier for the Royal Marine Light Infantry.

HMS Aboukir was a Cressy Class armoured cruiser.  The ship was on patrol in the North Sea off the Dutch coast along with three other cruisers when they were spotted by the German submarine U9.  At around 06.25 on the morning of 22nd September 1914, U9 fired a single torpedo at HMS Aboukir which struck the port side of the ship causing heavy flooding and loss of engine power.  Half an hour after being attacked the ship rolled over and sank resulting in the loss of 527 men.

Berrow’s Worcester Journal, 10th October 1914:
Worcester Marine Lost
WENT DOWN WITH THE ABOUKIR
Mr R.W. Anderson, of 18, Southfield Street, Worcester, has received an intimation that his elder son, Private R.S. Anderson, of the Royal Marine L. I. went down with the Aboukir. Mr Anderson last heard from his son on August 15th, but he could not state where he was. He had been in the Navy about four years.  His mother, who died some years ago, was formerly headmistress of St. Mary’s Infants’ School.

Robert Anderson has no known grave, the photograph available shows his name on Chatham Naval Memorial.