| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Robert Stanley Fox was born on 23 Aug 1896 in Beverley. He was christened at St Nicholas Church, Beverley the 17 Sep 1896. Robert was the son of Albert, a tanner's labourer and Maria Fox, nee Stephenson and one of seven children. He attended Beverley Wesleyan School and by the time of the 1911 census was working as a labourer at a foundry in Beverley.
In 1912 Robert joined the Royal Navy and by 1914 had signed up for 12 years service. According to a newspaper article he received the Royal Humane Society diploma for life saving but it is not known the details of this award. On 31 May 1916 Britain and Germany clashed in the only major sea battle of the First World War. Able Seaman Robert Stanley Fox was serving on HMS Queen Mary which was hit twice by the German battlecruiser Derfflinger during the early part of the battle and her magazines exploded shortly afterwards, sinking the ship. Of the crew of 1,289 there were only 20 survivors. Robert had served five years in the Navy and was 20 years old when he died.
Robert Stanley Fox is remembered with honour on Portsmouth Naval Memorial and in Beverley on the Hengate War memorial, on the Beckside shrine and The East Riding memorial at Beverley Minister.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |