ROBERT ALFRED JOHN HITCHCOCK
1878 – 1957
Born in Devonport in January 1878 little is known of Robert’s early life.
He enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1895 aged 17 years. Later census data traces him to ships based in Portland Dorset in 1911.
At the outbreak of the Great War, having just achieved the rank of Petty Officer, Robert was posted to the Mediterranean Fleet and this was where in April 1915, whilst taking part in the Dardanelles operation he received “dangerous chest wounds”. Within five days he was medically evacuated back to the UK and did not return to sea until November 1915.
Robert completed his Naval service in June 1918 when aged 40.
In 1922 Robert Hitchcock obtained employment with local Widecombe authoress Beatrice Chase as her man servant. Robert became the latest in a line of man servants known as “Mr Bluejacket”.
Robert served in the post of “Mr Bluejacket” until Beatrice Chase died in 1955.
Robert died in Plymouth in 1957 aged 79.
He was known to all Beatrice’s friends as “the faithful Hitchcock”.
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