The AIF Project

Ernest Harold ROBSON

Regimental number4068
Place of birthNorth Frodingham, Yorkshire, England
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationFarmer
AddressWatts Hotel, Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation30
Height5' 5.5"
Weight154 lbs
Next of kinSister, A G Beaumont, 65 Coltman Street, Hull, England
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date29 July 1915
Place of enlistmentMelbourne, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name12th Battalion, 12th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/29/3
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT RMS Orontes on 24 November 1915
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll12th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 23-26 July 1916
Age at death from cemetery records30
Place of burialLondon Cemetery and Extension (Plot I, Row B, Grave No 12), Longueval, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
67
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Francis and Elizabeth ROBSON. Native of North Frodingham, Yorkshire, England Pozieres British Cemetery (Special Memorial No. 12), Ovillers-La-Boisselle, France
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 29 March 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 4 April 1916.

Taken on strength, 12th Bn, in the field, 17 May 1916.

Reported missing, 23-26 July 1916.

Subsequently declared 'Killed in Action, 23-26 July 1916'.

Note on Form B103: 'Buried Sunken Road Cemetery, just S.E. of Pozieres, and 3.75 miles E.N.E. of Albert.' Grave subsequently lost; death initially recorded on Pozieres British Cemetery (Special Memorial No. 12), Ovillers-La-Boisselle, France

Grave of an unknown soldier was found near Pozieres in 1935-36: identity discs established that this was the grave of 4068 ROBSON.

Statement, Red Cross File No 2340213F, 1768 Pte H.W. LOVE, D Company, 12th Bn (patient 2nd Southern General Hospital, Bristol, England), 12 October 1916: 'A man called [2638 T.A.] Lister and myself were carrying Robson, who was shot in the leg, on a stretcher, when by mistake we went towards the German lines instead of to our trenches. We had to leave Robson and take refuge in a shell hole. The ground was lost and I do not know what became of him afterwards.'

Second statement, 2609 Pte L. HASSEN, D Company,12th Bn, 25 August 1916: 'Lister, Love and I volunteered for stretcher work at Pozieres on July 25th. We found Robson badly wounded and started to bring him in. Love and I carried the stretcher and Lister was third man. As we went on we got lost, M.G. bullets and shells were flying in all directions. We found ourselves about 15 yds. from the German trenches. Lister got wounded in the leg and made straight for the German trenches. He limped along with his hand on his leg. We saw him get right up toward the parapet. No doubt he was taken prisoner. The fire got worse and we had to place Robson in a shell hole and abandon the stretcher. We had to leave him there. His wounds were very bad, he was mutilated all up on one side. He could not live. Love and I lay in a shell hole near by for several hours. At 11.15 a.m. we made a bolt for it. We had got about 10 yds. when Love went down under M.G. fire. He fell, apparently dead. I crawled into another shell hole and stayed there until midday, when I made another run for it and got in safely. I have not heard anything further about any of the men, but feel sure Love and Robson are both dead, and that Lister is either killed or a prisoner.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, ROBSON Ernest Harold
Red Cross File No 2340213F

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