Private 24527 Robert Aspinall

Family details:
Son of Samuel and Mary Elizabeth Aspinall, of 8, Jury St., Leigh, Lancs.

Census details:
1901 - 7 years old Robert is living at 43 Cairne Street, Thatto Heath, St Helens with parents Samuel (54), Mary E (46) and seven siblings: Mary (19), Elizabeth (18), Margaret (16), William (14), James (11), Samuel (9), Sarah (4). 1911 Census - Living at 8, Jury Street, Leigh, were Samual and Mary Aspinall, their 6 children and two grandchildren. Among the children is 16 year old Robert, a Scavenger in the Cotton Mill.

Notes:
Other SHROH casualties who died in the same incident: [cas=2920]William Goodwin[/cas] [cas=3245]Clement Howard[/cas] [cas=2483]John Knowles[/cas] [cas=2713]Thomas McGuire[/cas]

[pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/Royal_Edward_zpscfba6aca.jpg[/pic][caption]The HMT Royal Edward.[/caption] The British Transport 'Royal Edward' was sunk by an enemy submarine (UB.14) in the Aegean Sea on Saturday 13th August 1915. According to the information at present available, the transport had on board 32 officers and 1350 troops, in addition to the ship's crew of 220 officers and men. The troops consisted mainly of reinforcements for the 29th Division Royal Army Medical Corps, at Gallipoli. The loss of life remains uncertain. Some estimates state 866, others 935. The Soudan managed to pick up 440 men in six hours and two French destroyers and some trawlers rescued a further 221 survivors. The 'Royal Edward' was a large ship of the Royal Line, her port of registry being Bristol. Before the war she was engaged in the Canadian Service, sailing between Avonmouth and Montreal. Built in 1908 by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Glasgow, her gross tonnage was 11,117, 5669 net. She was 526 feet long, and had a speed of 19 knots. [pic]imgs/WW1_memorials/24527RobertAspinall.jpg[/pic][caption]The panel on the Helles Memorial bearing the inscription for Private Robert Aspinall (Photograph courtesy of Phil Wood off GWF )[/caption]