Robert Edward "Bob" Watkins was the son of Earnest Edward Watkins and Genevieve Connaughton. His father, died in 1924 when Bob was three years old. Genevieve remarried a man named George J. Smith and the family moved to Camden, New Jersey.
At age 18, Bob enlisted in the Marine Corps on August 2, 1939. He completed boot training at Parris Island, South Carolina, and was posted to the Marine Barracks at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. He was promoted to Private First Class in February, 1940. He applied for and was accepted to Sea School at Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia, and joined the Marine detachment of the cruiser USS QUINCY (CA-39), a New Orleans-Class heavy cruiser, on July 1st.
For the rest of 1940 and most of 1941, Watkins and the Quincy patrolled the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, participated in fleet exercises in the Caribbean, and escorted convoys through dangerous areas.
In early 1942, QUINCY and her Marines traveled to Iceland, then returned to New York for an overhaul before proceeding down the east coast, through the Panama Canal, and up to Pearl Harbor, where they joined the US Pacific Fleet. The QUINCY became part of the ship task force that took part in the invasion of the Solomon Islands, predominantly at a place unknown to the majority of the world just a month before - Guadalcanal.
The QUINCY fired their first shots of the war in support of the Marine landing on Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942. Ship anti-aircraft gunners, of whom Bob was probably one, also helped repel an aerial attack the following day. The cruiser took up a patrol position to protect the vulnerable transports and freighters unloading valuable supplies on Guadalcanal, and as night fell believed the situation well in hand. But in the early morning hours of August 9, 1942, the QUINCY was suddenly illuminated by Japanese searchlights and seconds later, enemy shells began striking all over the doomed cruiser. Within 20 minutes of the first round striking her, the QUINCY capsized and sank bow first at 02:38. A total 370 men died and 167 were wounded. This is recorded as the Battle of Savo Island in Naval history. She was the northernmost picket when the battle begun and was half way between Savo and Florida Island in an area remembered by historians as "Iron-Bottom Sound" due to the many ships sunk in this area during World War II, of which she was the first.
Bob's body was never found. Surviving Marines later recounted that they had seen his gun emplacement take a direct hit during the onslaught. After one year and one day, as being missing in action, he was declared dead on August 10, 1943
At the time of Bob's death, his mother was living at Box 43, 250 Broadway, Pitcarin, Pennsylvania.
Private First Class Robert Edward Watkins, Sn# 273306, earned the following badges/decorations for his service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II:
- Purple Heart Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Ribbon
- American Defense Service Medal with Fleet clasp
- Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with one bronze battle/campaign star
- World War II Victory Medal
- Marine Corps Sharpshooter's Badge
**NOTE** - A portion of this bio is based on information from the website missingmarines.com. They have done a fantastic job of researching approximately 3000 US Marines whose bodies were lost in the war. This writer wholeheartedly recommends their site for researchers or families of the missing. - Rick Lawrence, MSgt., USMC/USAFR {RET})
At age 18, Bob enlisted in the Marine Corps on August 2, 1939. He completed boot training at Parris Island, South Carolina, and was posted to the Marine Barracks at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. He was promoted to Private First Class in February, 1940. He applied for and was accepted to Sea School at Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia, and joined the Marine detachment of the cruiser USS QUINCY (CA-39), a New Orleans-Class heavy cruiser, on July 1st.
For the rest of 1940 and most of 1941, Watkins and the Quincy patrolled the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, participated in fleet exercises in the Caribbean, and escorted convoys through dangerous areas.
In early 1942, QUINCY and her Marines traveled to Iceland, then returned to New York for an overhaul before proceeding down the east coast, through the Panama Canal, and up to Pearl Harbor, where they joined the US Pacific Fleet. The QUINCY became part of the ship task force that took part in the invasion of the Solomon Islands, predominantly at a place unknown to the majority of the world just a month before - Guadalcanal.
The QUINCY fired their first shots of the war in support of the Marine landing on Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942. Ship anti-aircraft gunners, of whom Bob was probably one, also helped repel an aerial attack the following day. The cruiser took up a patrol position to protect the vulnerable transports and freighters unloading valuable supplies on Guadalcanal, and as night fell believed the situation well in hand. But in the early morning hours of August 9, 1942, the QUINCY was suddenly illuminated by Japanese searchlights and seconds later, enemy shells began striking all over the doomed cruiser. Within 20 minutes of the first round striking her, the QUINCY capsized and sank bow first at 02:38. A total 370 men died and 167 were wounded. This is recorded as the Battle of Savo Island in Naval history. She was the northernmost picket when the battle begun and was half way between Savo and Florida Island in an area remembered by historians as "Iron-Bottom Sound" due to the many ships sunk in this area during World War II, of which she was the first.
Bob's body was never found. Surviving Marines later recounted that they had seen his gun emplacement take a direct hit during the onslaught. After one year and one day, as being missing in action, he was declared dead on August 10, 1943
At the time of Bob's death, his mother was living at Box 43, 250 Broadway, Pitcarin, Pennsylvania.
Private First Class Robert Edward Watkins, Sn# 273306, earned the following badges/decorations for his service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II:
- Purple Heart Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Ribbon
- American Defense Service Medal with Fleet clasp
- Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with one bronze battle/campaign star
- World War II Victory Medal
- Marine Corps Sharpshooter's Badge
**NOTE** - A portion of this bio is based on information from the website missingmarines.com. They have done a fantastic job of researching approximately 3000 US Marines whose bodies were lost in the war. This writer wholeheartedly recommends their site for researchers or families of the missing. - Rick Lawrence, MSgt., USMC/USAFR {RET})
Robert Edward "Bob" Watkins was the son of Earnest Edward Watkins and Genevieve Connaughton. His father, died in 1924 when Bob was three years old. Genevieve remarried a man named George J. Smith and the family moved to Camden, New Jersey.
At age 18, Bob enlisted in the Marine Corps on August 2, 1939. He completed boot training at Parris Island, South Carolina, and was posted to the Marine Barracks at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. He was promoted to Private First Class in February, 1940. He applied for and was accepted to Sea School at Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia, and joined the Marine detachment of the cruiser USS QUINCY (CA-39), a New Orleans-Class heavy cruiser, on July 1st.
For the rest of 1940 and most of 1941, Watkins and the Quincy patrolled the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, participated in fleet exercises in the Caribbean, and escorted convoys through dangerous areas.
In early 1942, QUINCY and her Marines traveled to Iceland, then returned to New York for an overhaul before proceeding down the east coast, through the Panama Canal, and up to Pearl Harbor, where they joined the US Pacific Fleet. The QUINCY became part of the ship task force that took part in the invasion of the Solomon Islands, predominantly at a place unknown to the majority of the world just a month before - Guadalcanal.
The QUINCY fired their first shots of the war in support of the Marine landing on Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942. Ship anti-aircraft gunners, of whom Bob was probably one, also helped repel an aerial attack the following day. The cruiser took up a patrol position to protect the vulnerable transports and freighters unloading valuable supplies on Guadalcanal, and as night fell believed the situation well in hand. But in the early morning hours of August 9, 1942, the QUINCY was suddenly illuminated by Japanese searchlights and seconds later, enemy shells began striking all over the doomed cruiser. Within 20 minutes of the first round striking her, the QUINCY capsized and sank bow first at 02:38. A total 370 men died and 167 were wounded. This is recorded as the Battle of Savo Island in Naval history. She was the northernmost picket when the battle begun and was half way between Savo and Florida Island in an area remembered by historians as "Iron-Bottom Sound" due to the many ships sunk in this area during World War II, of which she was the first.
Bob's body was never found. Surviving Marines later recounted that they had seen his gun emplacement take a direct hit during the onslaught. After one year and one day, as being missing in action, he was declared dead on August 10, 1943
At the time of Bob's death, his mother was living at Box 43, 250 Broadway, Pitcarin, Pennsylvania.
Private First Class Robert Edward Watkins, Sn# 273306, earned the following badges/decorations for his service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II:
- Purple Heart Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Ribbon
- American Defense Service Medal with Fleet clasp
- Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with one bronze battle/campaign star
- World War II Victory Medal
- Marine Corps Sharpshooter's Badge
**NOTE** - A portion of this bio is based on information from the website missingmarines.com. They have done a fantastic job of researching approximately 3000 US Marines whose bodies were lost in the war. This writer wholeheartedly recommends their site for researchers or families of the missing. - Rick Lawrence, MSgt., USMC/USAFR {RET})
At age 18, Bob enlisted in the Marine Corps on August 2, 1939. He completed boot training at Parris Island, South Carolina, and was posted to the Marine Barracks at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. He was promoted to Private First Class in February, 1940. He applied for and was accepted to Sea School at Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia, and joined the Marine detachment of the cruiser USS QUINCY (CA-39), a New Orleans-Class heavy cruiser, on July 1st.
For the rest of 1940 and most of 1941, Watkins and the Quincy patrolled the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, participated in fleet exercises in the Caribbean, and escorted convoys through dangerous areas.
In early 1942, QUINCY and her Marines traveled to Iceland, then returned to New York for an overhaul before proceeding down the east coast, through the Panama Canal, and up to Pearl Harbor, where they joined the US Pacific Fleet. The QUINCY became part of the ship task force that took part in the invasion of the Solomon Islands, predominantly at a place unknown to the majority of the world just a month before - Guadalcanal.
The QUINCY fired their first shots of the war in support of the Marine landing on Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942. Ship anti-aircraft gunners, of whom Bob was probably one, also helped repel an aerial attack the following day. The cruiser took up a patrol position to protect the vulnerable transports and freighters unloading valuable supplies on Guadalcanal, and as night fell believed the situation well in hand. But in the early morning hours of August 9, 1942, the QUINCY was suddenly illuminated by Japanese searchlights and seconds later, enemy shells began striking all over the doomed cruiser. Within 20 minutes of the first round striking her, the QUINCY capsized and sank bow first at 02:38. A total 370 men died and 167 were wounded. This is recorded as the Battle of Savo Island in Naval history. She was the northernmost picket when the battle begun and was half way between Savo and Florida Island in an area remembered by historians as "Iron-Bottom Sound" due to the many ships sunk in this area during World War II, of which she was the first.
Bob's body was never found. Surviving Marines later recounted that they had seen his gun emplacement take a direct hit during the onslaught. After one year and one day, as being missing in action, he was declared dead on August 10, 1943
At the time of Bob's death, his mother was living at Box 43, 250 Broadway, Pitcarin, Pennsylvania.
Private First Class Robert Edward Watkins, Sn# 273306, earned the following badges/decorations for his service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II:
- Purple Heart Medal
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Ribbon
- American Defense Service Medal with Fleet clasp
- Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with one bronze battle/campaign star
- World War II Victory Medal
- Marine Corps Sharpshooter's Badge
**NOTE** - A portion of this bio is based on information from the website missingmarines.com. They have done a fantastic job of researching approximately 3000 US Marines whose bodies were lost in the war. This writer wholeheartedly recommends their site for researchers or families of the missing. - Rick Lawrence, MSgt., USMC/USAFR {RET})
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Pennsylvania.
Family Members
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