Brotchie, Robert Traill

Date of death: 26 November, 1914

Age at death: 29

Cause of death: Killed by internal explosion of vessel off Sheerness.

Place of burial/commemoration: Portsmouth Naval Memorial

From the Pauline Magazine: After the First World War, an appropriate way had to be found of commemorating those members of the Royal Navy who had no known grave, the majority of deaths having occurred at sea where no permanent memorial could be provided. Portsmouth Naval Memorial commemorates nearly 10,000 sailors of the First World War. The memorial was unveiled by the Duke of York, the future George VI, on 15 October 1924.

Among those commemorated at Portsmouth are most of the crew of HMS Bulwark, who died in 1914. A memorial to those lost on Bulwark was erected at the Dockyard Church, Sheerness in 1921. It was dedicated by Archdeacon Ingles, the Chaplain of the Fleet. It was unveiled by Hugh Evan-Thomas, Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. Victims are also commemorated on the Naval War Memorial at Southsea. Another memorial was placed in Woodlands Road Cemetery, Gillingham, as part of the Naval Burial Ground.