HOUSTON, Robert Thomas
| Service Number: | 4388 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 September 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Stoker |
| Last Unit: | HMAS Sydney (I) - WW1 |
| Born: | Strabane, Ireland, 25 February 1881 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Sailor, R.N. and R.A.N. |
| Died: | Accidental (Ship explosion), Rosyth, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom, 9 July 1917, aged 36 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" 23., Plymouth Naval Memorial, Devon, England |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Crib Point RAN WW1 Roll of Honour (Panel 2) |
World War 2 Service
| 1 Sep 1914: | Enlisted 4388 |
|---|
World War 1 Service
| Date unknown: | Involvement Stoker, 4388, HMAS Sydney (I) - WW1 |
|---|
My great great uncle
My Grandma Agnes Brown used to talk about an uncle she lost during the war but she didn’t have much information. I researched and found it was her uncle Robert Houston, who was from Scotland but joined the Australian navy. Sadly he perished in the cells of the Vanguard, after being with HMAS Sydney. I have no knowledge of any spouse or children he had or didn’t have, despite my research.
Amanda Brown, South Australia.
Submitted 21 November 2021 by Amanda Brown
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 9th July…… Robert Thomas Houston was born on 25th February, 1881 at Strabane, Donegal, Tyrone, Ireland.
He joined Royal Navy on 5th February, 1900 (20 days before his 19th birthday) & was issued an official number of 294693 Chatham.
On 5th February, 1900 he was rated as Stoker 2nd Class in Pembroke II.
Stoker 2nd Class Houston served on the following ships – Rodney then Anson & was promoted to Stoker on 1st June, 1902. He was in Cells for 5 days from 16th March, 1902 & returned to duty on 22nd March, 1902.
On 2nd October, 1902 Stoker Houston was transferred back to Pembroke II. He was transferred to Thetis on 25th November, 1902. He was in Cells for 7 days from 13th December, 1903 & returned to duty on 21st December, 1903.
He was transferred to Pembroke II on 13th July, 1905 until 21st August, 1905 when he was recorded as “run” (Naval term for deserted).
Stoker Robert Thomas Houston returned to Pembroke II from 21st November, 1905 then was transferred to Albemarle from 6th February, 1906. He was recorded as Stoker 1st Class from 1st July, 1906 while serving in Albemarle.
On 4th December, 1906 Stoker 1st Class Houston was in Cells for 14 days & returned to duty on 19th December, 1906 until 22nd November, 1907. He was recorded as “42 days H.L. ___” until 28th December, 1907, still serving in Albemarle.
He was transferred to Pembroke II from 25th February, 1910 then transferred to Hawke on 7th March, 1910. He was transferred to Encounter on 15th April, 1910. On 3rd June, 1910 he was recorded as “30 days H.L. Absent without Leave” & returned to duty on 3rd July, 1910 while serving in Encounter. Stoker 1st Class Houston was recorded again for “30 days H.L. (absence)” from 18th July, 1910 to 18th August, 1910.
Stoker 1st Class Houston was transferred to Penguin from 18th August, 1910 then on 9th October, 1910 he was transferred back to Encounter.
The 1911 England Census recorded Robert Thomas Houston as a 30 year old, single, Stoker 1st Class with Royal Navy. He was a member of Crew of H.M.S. Encounter which was a 2nd Class Cruiser. On the night of the 1911 Census – Sunday 2nd April, 1911 H.M.S. Encounter was at Vavau, Tonga Islands.
From 28th December, 1911 until 3rd March, 1912 Stoker 1st Class Houston was recorded as “70 ds H.L. (absence)” while serving in Encounter. On 4th June, 1912 Stoker 1st Class Houston was recorded as “Shore CS expd.” (Shore – Continuous Service expired).
Robert Thomas Houston, ex-Royal Navy, joined the Royal Australian Navy. His next of kin was listed as his mother Mrs Annie Peebles, 28 Newton St., Paisley, Scotland. Stoker Robert Thomas Houston was issued an official number of 4388.
Stoker Robert Thomas Houston served in Penguin from 1st September, 1914 then was transferred to Cerberus from 5th September, 1914.
He was transferred to H.M.A.S. Sydney from 29th September, 1914 & was involved in the Emden action on 9th November, 1914.
On 9th July, 1917 Stoker Robert Thomas Houston, H.M.A.S. Sydney, died at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland from Accidental death (Ship Explosion). (details as per Australian War Memorial). His Service Record recorded “Killed in Vanguard”.
"Australians were closely involved with the loss of the Vanguard which suffered a massive internal explosion on the night of 9 July 1917 caused, it is believed, by faulty cordite charges, incorrectly stowed. HMAS Sydney was the nearest ship, anchored about half a mile away; her boats were the first on the scene and rescued the only two men to survive the disaster. Unfortunately, two of her own sailors were on board the battleship and were lost.
Both men, Stoker Robert Thomas Houston and Stoker Leslie William Roberts, were unlucky enough to have been sentenced to seven days cells on 3 July, and appear to have been serving their sentence in Vanguard as no other cells were available. They would have spent their last week with little or no bedding and daily picking two pounds of oakum, which was weighed when given to them and then again when received back. Like most of the 804 men who were lost in Vanguard, they have ‘no known grave but the sea’.”
(Information from Semaphore Issue 4, 2009 – Royal Australian Navy Publication)
Stoker R. T. Houston is named on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Devon, England – Panel 23. He has no grave, however his death is still acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/f---k.html
Click images to start slideshow.