Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of James Robson, a life insurance agent, born 1833 in Scarborough, Yorkshire (son of Thomas Robson) and his wife Bell Robson (nee Urwin, married in the April quarter of 1878 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland), born 1849 in South Shields, County Durham. Robert Bell, a schoolboy, was born in in the April quarter of 1882 in South Shields, his half-blood siblings were, Martha, born in the April quarter of 1868 and James Thompson, a schoolboy, born in the October quarter of 1877, his siblings were Urwin, a schoolboy, born in the April quarter of 1879, Mary Urwin, a schoolgirl, born in the July quarter of 1884, Henry Albert, a schoolboy, born in the October quarter of 1887 and William Sutton Glover, a schoolboy, born in the January quarter of 1889, all his siblings were born in South Shields, in April 1891 the family home was at 16, Shortridge Street, Westoe, South Shields. In March 1901 Robert was employed as a dock checker and was residing in the family home at 16, Shortridge Street, South Shields, together with his father, a life assurance agent, his mother and siblings Urwin, a railway porter, Mary, Henry, William and Edwin Eliot, born in the January quarter of 1893 in South Shields. Robert’s father died on the 22nd January 1905 in South Shields, aged 72 years. In April 1911 Robert was absent from the family home at 16, Shortridge Street, South Shields, residing there was his widowed mother and siblings, Mary, Henry, a joiner, William, a butcher’s assistant and Edwin, an apprentice brass furnisher, meanwhile Robert was engaged as a Wesleyan Evangelist and was residing as a paying guest at 4, Vale View, Church Hill, Honiton, Devon. Robert’s younger brother Edwin, was killed in action on the 27th April 1917 while serving as a Private (9288) with the 1st Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment.
FAMILY NOTE: Robert’s father, James had previously been married to Martha Thompson, they married in the October quarter of 1854 in Christ Church, Tynemouth, Northumberland) born on the 26th April 1835 in Jarrow, County Durham, (daughter of Anthony Thompson, 1806-1849 and Jane Newham, 1804-1881), and together they had the following children, George William Ellis, born in the April quarter of 1855 and baptised on the 17th June 1855 in St. Hilda’s Church, South Shields, John Ellis, born in the January quarter of 1857, Robert Ellis, born in the January quarter of 1859, Margaret Ellis, born 1863, Jane, born in the July quarter of 1865, Martha, born on the 25th April 1868, Ann Ellis, born in the July quarter of 1869, Isabella, born in the July quarter of 1871 and James, born on the 14th November 1874. All the children were born in South Shields, Robert Ellis died in the October quarter of 1862 in South Shield, aged 3 years. His wife, Martha, died in the July quarter of 1877 in South Shields, aged 42 years.
Robert’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Leicester on a date not known.
Joined at Leicester on a date not known.
Posted to the Royal Army Medical Corps as Private, on a date not known.
Allotted the Service number 81032.
Transferred to the Gloucestershire Regiment, and allotted the Regimental number 41994, on a date not known.
Posted to the 2nd Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment as Private on a date not known.
First entered the theatre of war after the 31st December 1915.
Wounded in action. In the Field on a date not known.
Died of wounds on the 2nd September 1918.
Buried in Karasouli Military Cemetery, Greece.
Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Robert had nominated his mother, Bell and sister Mary as his sole legatees.
Robert’s sister Mary made a claim for a weekly Army Pension for both Robert and his brother Edwin.