Those who gave their lives from Yarm ______________________________________

ROBSON, Robert Henry Lance Corporal 8/3019 1st/8th Bn Durham Light Infantry

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RH Robson is named as a casualty on the Conyers ww1 board

Yarm1914 have found four soldiers called RH Robson who served in UK regiments. Lance Corporal Robert Henry Robson (Berty) came from a family that educated its children. Robert Henry Robson was born in 1889 At Alwent Hall in Gainford between Darlington and Barnard Castle. His father Anthony Robson was a farmer and his mother was called Elizabeth Mary Robson. He had three brothers and four sisters all recorded as scholars in the 1891 census. The leaving age for children at school was set by the Elementary Education Act of 1880 at 10 years of age. Robert had two brothers over 10 at school, John Ernest and Herbert aged 13 and 11 respectively. Anthony employed two domestic servants and a domestic governess to help run the household.
In the 1901 census the family had moved to Catcote Farm near Hartlepool and Berty aged 12 is not recorded as being employed. Between 1909 and 1911 he was training at Bede College in Durham to become a teacher. With a group of four fellow trainees he won the Grand Cup for rowing in 1910 at the five yearly regatta. He attained his Certificate in July 1911 with a distinction in Mathematics, and Latin as his optional subject: he went on to teach as an Assistant Master at Middleton Council School. At the outbreak of ww1 he joined the Durahm Light Infantry as a ptivate. The 8th battalion joined the British forces in France in April 1915. “A” Company of 8 DLI was known as the Bede Contingent, comprising over 100 past and present students of the college. They were soon thrown into the front line trenches on Gravenstafel Ridge during the second battle of Ypres. Robert was promoted to Lance Corporal. Robert was among that half of the battalion ordered to reinforce a front line defensive position at Boetleer Farm, north east of Ypres where he was wounded and captured by the Germans and taken to Roulers in Belgium. He sent a postcard home and either he minimised his injuries so as not to alarm them, or he was not fully aware of their gravity. The Northern Daily Mail reported on 28 May that a nursing sister at the Redemptoust Convent at Roeselare informed his parents that “he took a turn for the worse and for the last few days was delirious. The wound in the back was very bad”. He died on 4th May 1915. The Teesdale Mercury of Wednesday May 19 1915 reported that RH Robson, a teacher at Middleton Council School had died of wounds received at the front.The June 2nd edition includes an extract from a letter written by Private Dunn "A West Hartlepool lad of ours put up a grand fight on April 25th. He was badly wounded but kept on fighting with the machine gun until he was hit again. What became of him we don't know. He was very brave and fought the best of all. His name is RH Robson, a good Rugby football player. We called him "Barney". Robert played as a forward for Hartlepool Rovers Rugby Club.

RH Robson is remembered on the Bede College 1914-1918 cross. His parents put a plaque in All Saints Church, Stranton in Hartlepool near the Cameron's Brewery.He is remembered on the Middleton-in-Teesdale war memorial and A Hartlepool Rugby Football Club plaque.

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Yarm 1914 Research ________________

The Yarm 1914 Commemoration Group is carrying out research on the soldiers listed. We are finding where they lived in Yarm and will represent the findings in a wall of poppies presentation. More details will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and this web site. If you have any information please contact us. Left click on the picture below.