Name
William Robbins (Robins)
23 February 1882
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/03/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
204336
East Surrey Regiment
12th Battalion
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 6
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
St Francis of Assisi Memorial, Hammerfield, St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial
Pre War
William Robbins was born on 23 February 1882 in Brackley, Northants, the son of Thomas and Annie (Anna) Robbins, and baptised there on 2 April 1882. He was one of four children, and their youngest child.
On the 1891 Census the family were living in Main Street, Charlton, Northants, where his father was a farm labourer. William left school in 1895 in order to work in domestic service.
By 1901 he had moved out of the family home and was working as a Footman for Mr and Mrs William Copeland at Quarry House, St Leonards on Sea, Sussex, one six servants.
He married Edith May Stevens at St Ippolyts, Herts on 6 August 1906. It is probable that William had moved to the Hitchin area for work as he and his wife lived in St Ippolyts after their marriage and their first child Doris was born there. They then moved to Amersham where their next two children were born and moved to Hemel Hempstead for the births of their fifth and sixth children. The youngest was born just over two weeks before he was killed.
On enlistment the family were living at 5 Glenview Road, Hammerfield, Hemel Hempstead, and later at Sunny Hill Road, Hemel Hempstead, where William had been working as a sewing machine mechanic.
His parents later lived at Chipping Norton, Oxon
Wartime Service
William initially enlisted in Watford in June 1916 and requested a preference for the Royal Engineers and was referred to the Royal Flying Corps. Unfortunately, a letter of 28 March 1917 from the Royal Flying Corps to the Recruiting Officer of the Bedfordshire Regiment states "I regret to have to return this man to you. Owing to alterations in War Office requirements, he is now ineligible for R.F.C. So when he was called up for service he was posted to the 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, under reg. no. 203740.
He was then sent to France on 21 June 1917 and on arrival in Boulogne, was posted to the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, later transferring to the 12th East Surrey Regiment on 13 July 1917. He saw his first serious action at the Battle of Pilckem Ridge later the same month when the Regiment were in support of the assaulting troops. During the Battle of Menin Road the following September there were approximately 300 casualties, but luckily William was not one of them. The East Surrey Regiment then departed for Italy on 12 November 1917 and took over a sector of front line north west of Treviso in northern Italy, but returned to the Western Front the following year on 1 March.
William was killed in action on 23 March 1918 when he was hit by an enemy shell whilst in the trenches, as the Battalion was defending ground during the German Spring Offensive.. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.
(N.B. A letter to his widow from his commanding officer, reproduced in the local newspaper, said he could not tell her the place where he died but stated that he was properly buried and a reference taken of the spot.)
Additional Information
His widow, Edith received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £8 15s 9d. She also received a pension of £2 2s 1d a week from 28 October 1918. His son Ronald served in the Military Police in WW2 and was killed in active service on 14 November 1942. He is also commemorated on the Hemel Hempstead War Memorial.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelheroes.com.
