Certificate of Service to Petty Officer Robert Edward Ashenden
Born in Ramsgate on the 9th July 1914, Robert Ashenden joined the Royal Navy as an assistant cook in December 1932 for a 12-year period. He served in a number of well know vessels in his career including HMS Valiant, HMS Ramillies, HMS Ajax and HMS Kelly rising to the rank of Petty Officer Cook (Officers). His records and the crew lists of HMS Ajax confirm that he was a member of the crew at the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939.
On 28th November 1940 he joined HMS Kelly which was commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten, seeing action off Gibraltar, Malta and Crete.
Tragically, HMS Kelly was subject to intense air attack off Crete on the 23rd May 1941, during the evacuation of Commonwealth troops and she was sunk with the loss of half of her crew.
One of those to lose his life was Robert Ashenden, his name is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. At the time of his death his mother Elizabeth Sarah Ashenden was living at 40, Sydney Road, Ramsgate.
