Name
George Upton Robins
2 Dec 1878
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/05/1915
36
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
East Yorkshire Regiment
3rd Bn., attached 2nd Bn. Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
RAILWAY DUGOUTS BURIAL GROUND (TRANSPORT FARM)
Transport Farm Annexe Mem. A. 1.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Haileybury College Cloister Wall Memorial, Hertford Heath, Wheathampstead War Memorial, The Folly Methodist Chapel Window, Wheathampstead, St. Peters Church Memorial, Gustard Wood, Magdalen College Tablets, Oxford
Pre War
George Upton Robins was born on 2 Dec 1878, in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire son of George Upton Robins a, Solicitor and Justice of the Peace and Emma Flora (nee Sheppard), Emma was his second wife.
The 1881 Census records George aged 2, living with his parents and sister Flora Olivia Upton (born 1878), at “Delaporte House”, Wheathampstead, Herts. The family had six live-in Domestic Servants, George’s aunt Florence Burridge, a widow was also living with the family.
The 1891 Census records the family of his parents, George and his sisters, Flora (13), May Stuart (born 1882) and Elise Irene (born 1884), and six live-in Domestic Servants were still living at “Delaport House”. George father died in 1895.
George was educated at Haileybury College 1892-97, and Magdalen College, Oxford, 1897- 1900, (leaving without a degree).
He obtained a Commission dated 23 May 1900 as 2nd Lieutenant and was posted to 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York’s Own) and in Dec 1900 went to South Africa in V Corps Mounted Infantry. He was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with the following clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State and date clasp South Africa 1902. He returned to UK in 1902 and on 11 July 1903 he resigned his commission, joining the Special Reserve of Officers. He became a partner in an Export Merchants Company with business in India and China.
He married Beryl Emma Stevens the daughter of Colonel Malcom Stevens and Annie Stevens, at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London, in Dec 1905. After their marriage George and Beryl went out to Shanghai, China for two years on company business, on their return home they lived at “Lee House”, The Folly, Wheathampstead, Herts.
The 1911 Census records George married to Beryl and living at “Lee House”, The Folly, Nr. Wheathampstead, Herts, they have three live-in Domestic Servants.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of the war in Aug 1914, George was in Shanghai on company business. It wasn’t until December 1914, that he could leave Shanghai as he was in sole charge of the company there at the time. On his return home he re-enlisted in his old regiment in 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. On 2 Mar 1915 he was promoted to Captain and placed in command of D Company. He went to France on 22 Apr 1915, in a Draft of 12 Officers and 350 other ranks, arriving during the 2nd Battle of Ypres and was attached to 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment).
He was commanding C Company of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment on Hill 60 near Ypres (Battle of Hill 60: 17 Apr – 7 May 1915), when on the morning of 5 May 1915 they were attacked with gas. Almost all of the men on Hill 60 died, George was the last man to leave Hill 60. He died in a field ambulance that night, due to the effects of the gas, he had only been on the Western Front for 13 days.
Additional Information
His effects of £69-0s-1d, went to Probate. He is commemorated on his parent’s gravestone in St. Helen’s Churchyard, Wheathamstead, Herts. Some records have him as Robins others have him as Upton-Robins. The Wheathampstead War memorial and the Folly Methodist Chapel Window have him as Upton-Robins. He was a poet, his collection “Lays of the Hertfordshire Hunt and other poems” was published in 1916.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne, Neil Cooper
Malcolm Lennox, Karen Smith - Acting Director of External Relations www.haileybury.com/honour
