Duhallow Cemetery
Duhallow Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John William Robson born at Brandon, County Durham in 1895, was the only son of John Robson born 1871 Belmont Parish, County Durham and Catherine Edwards of Silksworth, County Durham born 1875. The couple were married in the district of Durham in 1893 but tragically Catherine died in 1899 only 25 years of age.
John supported his son employed as a coal hewer, in 1901 they were living at 9, Park Street, Brandon. He remarried in 1902 to Mary Jane Heath, born November 12th 1874 at Sherburn, County Durham and by 1911 had a further 4 children of whom only 3 survived, Jane Robson 1903, Thomas Heath Robson 1906 and Edward Coltman Robson 1910. They had moved to 33, Joicy Street, Sherburn Hill, by 1911, John William (16) had joined his father at the colliery employed below ground as a pony driver. The couples’ youngest son Frank was born in 1913.
At the time of the declaration of war John William may have been employed by the railway, he enlisted at Ripon, Yorkshire, in July 1915, assigned as Private 120 to the 32nd (Reserve) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers formed from depot company of the 17th Battalion (N.E.R. Pioneers). After initial training he joined his regiment as of January 1916 at the front in France where they were concentrated near Albert, Bouzincourt and Meaulte. They took part in the opening battle at Thiepval, October 26th-28th 1916 after which the battalion left the 32nd Division and joined GHQ Railway Construction Troops before returning to the 32nd Division during the first week of September 1917 until November 1917.
Private 32/120 John William Robson Northumberland Fusiliers during November 1917 was deployed in the area of the Ypres salient, Belgium and having sustained wounds to which he succumbed, November 12th 1917, was interred at Duhallow Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery on the outskirts of Ypres, Belgium, grave III. B. 18. He was 22 years of age and single.
His step-mother Mary Jane, listed in official records as his mother, received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to her at The Waverley, Seaton Carew, County Durham. She commissioned at a cost of 7 shillings an additional inscription to be added to John William’s military headstone, it reads, “He Answered His Country’s Call.”
John Robson died between 1911 and 1919 when next of kin documentation was completed post-war as also confirmed by the CWGC entry, details as regards Mary Jane Robson nee Heath, unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
There is a William Robson at Sherburn Hill on S146.01. Is this John William?
