Lieutenant Robert Joseph Sweet was born in Devon in December 1859 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. Impregnable in March 1875. Over the next two decades he gained steady promotion and was advanced to Chief Petty Officer aboard H.M.S. Camperdown in late 1892, which Battleship he was lucky to leave in early June of the following year, just prior to her famous collision with H.M.S. Victoria. That same month he was appointed Gunner, R.N. and in February 1894 he joined H.M.S. Barrosa. Aboard this latter ship he experienced his first taste of active service, being present in the Punitive Expedition commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford, K.C.B., when it marched against King Koko of Nimby on the Brass River. He was afterwards engaged with the Naval Brigade landed under Rear-Admiral Rawson, C.B., and was present at the capture of the rebellious Arab Chief M'buruk's stronghold at M'wele - his East and West Africa Medal was not submitted for the appropriate engraved rim inscription, however, as evidenced by P.R.O. records. Later still, Sweet served in Rawson's Expedition against Benin in early 1897. Advanced to Chief Gunner in April 1911, he was placed on the Retired List as a Lieutenant in late 1914.