Robert entered the war in France on 7th January 1915. He was on board the Hired Transport "Transylvania", when it was proceeding to Egypt with reinforcements, and was sunk by a torpedo by the German U-boat U-63 off Cape Vado, a few kilometres south of Savona. He was the son of Mr and Mrs E. Howard of Guild House, 29 Church Road, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey.