Robert Jardine 1918: Photo Jen Banks

Robert Jardine 1918: Photo Jen Banks

With motorbike 1919: Photo Jen Banks

Medal Index Card

Robert Jardine was born at Felling, Gateshead, County Durham on the 17th July 1894, one of 13 children of whom only 11 survived, he was the 6th born of 8 sons and 3 daughters. His father John Jardine was born in Scotland and brought to England by his family at the age of 5, settling firstly in Cumberland before moving to the north east to Gateshead where John married, April 9th 1876, Barbara Bell of Hetton, County Durham born in 1856. They were living at Cooper Street, Gateshead in 1881 with their daughter Mary (5) and son Henry (1), also Henry Bell, Barbara’s widowed father. John Jardine was employed as a chemical labourer, his father-in-law as a miner. Ten years later they had moved to Parkinson Street, Heworth where he was now employed as an engineman, however by 1901 he was the bar manager of a public house, son Henry (21) was a bar man, David (19) a stone mason, John George (18) a plumber, Matthew (15) a coal miner, William (13) a general labourer, the remainder of the older children were scholars, the younger ones at home with their mother, including Robert now aged 6 years.

Robert’s father died aged 49 in 1905, his widowed mother moved into 3 rooms at 34, Parkinson Street, High Felling and although listed as living by her own means was also supported by Robert (16) a labourer at the grease works and Albert Frederick (14) working as a screener at Heworth colliery, daughter Margaret (21) assisted her mother with the domestic chores, Thomas Andrew (13) attended school.

Robert and his younger brother Albert Frederick enlisted together, December 18th 1914, assigned as Private 3196 and Private 3195, they were posted to Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment, 4th Battalion, a Territorial Force. When war was declared August 4th 1914 the battalion was at its annual camp and immediately ordered to return to base at Northallerton. The main body of men departed April 18th 1915, landing at Boulogne before moving to the Ypres salient in Belgium. Robert was not amongst them; he did not depart until post January 1916 when all Territorial soldiers were made eligible for overseas service. He joined his regiment in the field, by which time the 4th Battalion as part of the 150th Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division had moved to the Somme. They saw action during the Battles of the Somme in 1916 before transferring to the Arras sector where they took part in the Battle of Arras, April 9th 1917-May 16th 1917, returning to Belgium participating at the Third Battle of Ypres, July 31st-November 10th 1917. When the Germans attached on the Somme front, March 1918 they were rushed to France where they suffered heavy casualties at the Battle of Lys and Aisne. At the conclusion of the battles the battalion was reorganised as the men were suffering from exhaustion and after further losses the battalion was reduced by July 1918 to cadre strength and sent to the Lines of Communication. August 16th 1918 the 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment transferred to the 116th Brigade, 39th Division assigned to train the newly arrived American 77th Division and remained a training unit until they were demobilised, November 6th 1918.

With a change of service number during 1917, Private 200855 Robert Jardine during his service rose to the rank of Sergeant, was wounded on 3 occasions and also nominated for the Military Medal in June 1916 for bravery in battle on land, however, the nomination was rejected. Having reverted to the rank of Corporal he was discharged, January 24th 1919, under King’s Regulations 392(xvi), “no longer physically fit for war service,” Silver War Badge 480926. Due to his disability caused by a wounding to the head he was assigned a pension which later included his wife and dependants. Recipient of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

His brother Private Alfred Frederick Jardine also survived the conflict.

Robert moved from the north east to Yorkshire where he was married at Guisborough in 1919 to Ethel Jane Potter, born June 23rd 1900, with whom he had 2 children, Winifred Esther Joyce Jardine born 1920 and Robert Russell Jardine, 4th November 1923. In 1939 he, his wife and son Robert were living at 40, Bennison Street, Guisborough, Robert Snr is listed as a bricklayer now incapacitated, Robert Jnr a garage assistant.

Robert Jardine died in 1965 aged 71 years, Ethel Jane Jardine nee Potter aged 77 years in 1977, their daughter Winifred Esther Joyce Jardine, December 18th 2008 aged 88 years, Robert Russell Jardine aged 92 years, August 13th 2015, all registered in the district of Guisborough, Yorkshire.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.

Heslop's Local Advertiser 17/11/1916 reports:

"Military Medals.
News has been received that Corpl. R. Jardine, Yorks. Regt. has been recommended for the Military Medal for conspicuous bravery during a bombing raid in June. He has since been wounded, but having recovered expects to go out to France shortly. Corpl. Jardine win the heavy weight boxing championship at a sports meeting held in France some time ago. His father, the late Mr. John Jardine, was particularly well known in the district as manager of the Jubilee and Collingwood Hotels."

The article then goes on to report on others who have received awards.

Jen Banks has sent in the following:

Robert Jardine was my grandfather. I was born in Guisborough in 1946. I lived there until 1968. He died in 1965, and is buried in Guisborough cemetery.

I have very strong memories of a very lovely grandad. He was always an invalid as he suffered gas during the war and also had a metal plate in his head from an injury received during the war. He was a Sargent when he was discharged in 1918.

His family moved to Rosedale before the outbreak of the war, as he learned the trade of bricklayer in the ironstone mines there. The family subsequently moved to Guisborough.

After marrying in Guisborough in 1919 the family moved to Felling, where I understand he began some kind of maintenance company. However, around 1930, the metal plate in his head moved and he suffered a loss of memory. He was admitted to a hospital in Liverpool, whilst my grandmother and my mother and her brother moved back to Guisborough. On discharge from hospital he returned to his family in Guisborough.

He was then involved in organising the local Boys Club, teaching boxing and supervising football etc. He was employed by the local G P Dr Pratt as gardener etc.

He always spoke with fondness of Felling, although he never returned. He was once visited by his brother Fred from Canada. He always wanted to go there.