Name

Robert James Beattie.

Description

Newspaper Photograph of Driver Robert James Beattie.

Life Story

Name: Robert James Beattie.

Service Number: 76765.

Rank: Driver.

Battalion: 29th Division Artillery.

Regiment: Royal Field Artillery.

Born: 10th May 1897, Belfast.

Died: 14th - 18th April 1915.

Address: 20 Aberdeen Street, Belfast

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Robert James Beattie, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Beattie, lived at 20 Aberdeen Street, Shankill Road, Belfast

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The 1901 Ireland Census has Robert living at 29 Aberdeen Street, Belfast with his mother, father, occupation, Tailor, brother Thomas G, 6 years, and sister Eliza J, 13 years. An Edward Meniece, 31 years, and Robert J Meniece, 36 years, both General Labourers, described as Brother in Laws, are registered as living there also.

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The 1911 Ireland Census has Robert living at 24 Aberdeen Street, Belfast with his mother, father, Tailor, brother Thomas, and sister Eliza. Robert, aged 13 years, occupation at this time is given as Mill Boy Labourer

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Robert joined the Royal Field Artillery.

He was posted as part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on the 1st April 1915.

Robert was a Driver in 29th Division, Artillery, Royal Filed Artillery when he was Lost At Sea, Accidently Drowned, in April 1915 aged 17 years

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Local Newspapers stated, with differing Headlines

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LOST FROM THE MANITOU.

DROWNED IN THE AEGEAN SEA.

The War Office has notified Mrs Beattie, 20 Aberdeen Street, Belfast, that her son, Driver Robert J Beattie, Royal Field Artillery, was drowned in the Aegean Sea on the 18th inst. Beattie was proceeding to the Dardanelles with his battery on the transport Manitou when it was attacked by a Turkish destroyer. In the lowering of the boats of the Manitou one of them capsized, with the result that the occupants were thrown into the sea, Beattie and others drowned. Deceased, who was seventeen years of age, enlisted last July, prior to that he was in the employment of the New Northern Spinning Company, Ltd

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Robert Soldiers Effects were left to his mother.

Dependant Pension Application Forms show his mother as claimant also.

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Robert received the British War Medal, Victory Medal and 1915 Star.

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He is Remembered at Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey.

To Remember Is To Honour

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Footnote.

There is some discrepancies around Roberts Date and Place of Death. The CWGC gives his date of death as the 14th of April 1915, however newspapers reported that the S.S Manitou was not torpedoed until around the 17-18th of April 1915, and that this is where Robert lost his life.

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