Heslop's Local Advertiser
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Robert Banks born at North Shields was married to Sarah.
On the outbreak of war he was one of the first to enlist at South Shields, assigned as Private 19/831 to the 19th Battalion (2nd Tyneside Pioneers) Northumberland Fusiliers which was raised at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, November 16th 1914. After initial training near home they became a Pioneer Battalion, February 8th 1915 and joined the 35th Division at Marsham, North Yorkshire, in July. Moved to Salisbury Plain in August for final training they were ordered to Egypt in late 1915, however, the order was cancelled and instead they left for the Western Front in France, landing at Le Havre, January 29th 1916 where they concentrated east of St. Omer near the French coast. The Battalion saw action during the opening Battles of the Somme at Bazentin Ridge, July 14th-17th 1916.
Private Banks was wounded in the field and evacuated via the casualty line until he was taken to the 27th Field Ambulance of the Royal Army Medical Corps attached to the 9th Division who were also involved in the fighting at Bazentin Ridge. Private 19/831 Robert Banks Northumberland Fusiliers died of his wounds July 21st 1916 and interred at Dive Copse British Cemetery, Sailly-Le-Sec, Somme, France.
His widow Sarah received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her home address of 33, Wellington Street, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham. She remarried at Gateshead in 1919 James Earl and with whom she had a daughter Annie born in 1922.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
His death was announced in Heslop's Local Advertiser 18/08/1916:
"Private Robert Banks, N.F., killed in action on July 21st. Husband of Sarah Banks, Wellington Street, Felling."
He cannot be identified on a local War Memorial.
