Engineer Officer Robert Beattie

Engineer Officer Robert Beattie, Merchant Navy. He was killed aboard the S.S. “Saganga” on 5th September 1942 aged 29. He had been born in Sydney, Australia and was the son of Walter and Christina Beattie and the husband of Janet Beattie of Selkirk. He had played rugby with Selkirk and was working in South America when War broke out. He returned home and joined the Merchant Navy. He had already had a ship sunk under him and he had spent some of his ” survivors leave” in Selkirk. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London. On the 5th September the ” Saganga” was moored in Bell Island Tickle, Newfoundland loading iron ore when it was struck by two torpedoes from the German U-513. The ship was cut in two and sank in 30 seconds with the loss of 29 crew from a crew of 48 which included 3 naval gunners. The submarine herself was sunk on 19th July 1943 by a U.S. Mariner aircraft with 7 survivors.