Personal information

Husband of F. Templeton, of Belfast. Robert Templeton served in the Merchant Navy from 1928 to 1975. He had joined City of Benares on 15 February 1940 and survived her sinking on 24 September 1940. His next ship was City of Manchester which he joined on 30 October 1940 and served aboard until she was sunk by the Japanese submarine I-53 south of Java on 28 February 1942.

Robert never spoke about his wartime experiences, but told a cousin of his wife that the horrors of witnessing the deaths of so many children that night the City of Benares sank stayed with him and haunted him for the rest of his life.