George Henry Robinson Petty Officer 1st Class, (Ch) 191846

George was born three days before Christmas, 22nd December 1880 in Teddington, Middlesex to parents George and Mary Hannah and baptised at the church of St Mary’s, Teddington on 16th January 1881.

Listed on the 1891 census aged 10, George was the eldest of five children.  He attended school while his father worked as a labourer; the family and an elderly lodger lived at 1 Bushey Park Terrace, Teddington.

George worked as a labourer until he joined the Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in 1897.  He was recorded as being 5’5” tall with dark hair and brown eyes - his service record follows:-

HMS BOSCAWEN - 13/01/1897 - 23/10/1897, rising to Boy 1st Class on 13/10/1897

HMS MINOTAUR - 24/10/1897 - 29/03/1898

HMS PEMBROKE - 30/03/1898 - 18/04/1898

HMS AGINCOURT - 19/04/1898 - 02/05/1898

HMS SANS PAREIL - 03/05/1898 - 08/09/1899, rising to Ordinary Seaman on his 18th Birthday, 22/12/1898

HMS PEMBROKE I  - 09/09/1899 - 13/011/1899

HMS ARETHUSA - 14/11/1899 - 03/04/1902, rising to Able Seaman on 01/06/1902

HMS PEMBROKE I - 04/04/1903 - 26/05/1903

HMS WILDFIRE - 27/05/1904 - 17/06/1904

HMS ALBION - 18/06/1904 - 07/05/1906, rising to Leading Seaman on 27/07/1905 and Petty Officer 2nd Class on 08/03/1906

HMS WILDFIRE - 08/05/1906 - 27/04/1908

HMS BLENHEIM - 28/04/1908 - 18/05/1908

HMS PEMBROKE I - 19/05/1908 - 26/05/1908

HMS WILDFIRE - 27/05/1908 - 12/06/1908

HMS INDOMITABLE - 13/06/0918 - 08/08/1910, demoted to Leading Seaman on 16/09/1909 then rising to Petty Office 2nd Class on 21/07/1910

HMS PEMBROKE I - 09/08/1910 - 20/10/1910

HMS ALBION - 21/10/1910 - 26/10/1911, on the night of the 1911 census, April 2nd, he was recorded being aboard the armoured cruiser HMS HOGUE which was anchored at Margate in Kent.

HMS PEMBROKE I - 27/10/1911 - 26/03/1912

HMS VANGUARD - 27/03/1912 - 09/07/1917, rated to Acting Petty Officer 1st Class as an Instructor of boys under training on 07/09/1912 and promoted to Petty Office 1st Class on 25/03/1913.  George was also aboard during the Battle of Jutland.  Whilst serving on Vanguard George also took some time off to marry Cecilie Frances Baines at St Philip’s Church, Camberwell on 31st December 1913.

George's Signature - marriage certificate, courtesy of Ancestry

Following his death his pension was awarded to his widow - they had not had any children. She also received his war medals, the Star, Victory and British medals. He is remembered locally on the war memorial at St Mark’ Church, Teddington

#322 - 654/843

Sources - 

London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 London Metropolitan Archives; London, England, UK; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: DRO/125/007

1891 & 1911 England Census

UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939 The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services; Class: ADM 188; Piece: 328

London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921

London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: p73/phi/014

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: Piece 010; Piece Description: Piece 010 (1914 - 1919)

CWGC Register

Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972  Class: ADM 171; Piece: 113

WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; Pension Record Cards; Reference: 161/0793/ROB-ROB

Photo source - The Surrey Comet