Robert John Keenan was the son of William and Agnes Keenan. The family lived in Inishrush near Portglenone. William was a farm labourer. Robert was born on 23rd April 1917. He was one of at least five children. Stoker 2nd Class Robert John Keenan served aboard HMS Hood in World War Two. On 24th May 1941, early in the Battle of the Denmark Strait, HMS Hood was struck by several German shells from the Bismarck and sank within three minutes, with the loss of all but three of her crew.
Further Information
Robert John Keenan was the son of William and Agnes Keenan. William Keenan and Agnes White were married on 19th January 1909 in the district of Magherafelt.
The 1911 census lists his parents at house 36 in Inishrush, Clady, County Londonderry. William was a farm labourer.
Known family: William Keenan, Agnes Keenan, Robert Keenan (born 5th February 1909, died 17th March 1909), May Mary Keenan (born 22nd March 1911), Nancy Keenan (born 1st March 1913), James Keenan (born 19th July 1914), Robert John Keenan (born 23rd April 1917).
Robert John Keenan was born on 23rd April 1917 in the Inishrush area of Portglenone. However, no GRONI record can be found to confirm this.
Stoker 2nd Class Robert John Keenan served with the Royal Navy on board HMS Hood in World War Two.
When war with Germany was declared, Hood was operating in the area around Iceland, and she spent the next several months hunting for German commerce raiders and blockade runners between Iceland and the Norwegian Sea. After a brief overhaul of her propulsion system, she sailed as the flagship of Force H, and participated in the destruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir. Relieved as flagship of Force H, Hood was dispatched to Scapa Flow, and operated in the area as a convoy escort and later as a defence against a potential German invasion fleet. In May 1941, Hood and the battleship Prince of Wales were ordered to intercept the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, which were en route to the Atlantic, where they were to attack convoys.
On 24th May 1941, early in the Battle of the Denmark Strait, HMS Hood was struck by several German shells, exploded, and sank within 3 minutes, with the loss of all but three of her crew. Due to her publicly perceived invincibility, the loss affected British morale.
Stoker 2nd Class Robert John Keenan has no known grave and is commemorated on panel 56 of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial in England
The CWGC record Stoker 2nd Class Robert John Keenan as the son of William and Agnes Keenan (nee White) of Portglenone, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
