Gary Robinson writes:

My great uncle Thomas Gifford Robinson was born in Hartlepool in 1892. His parents; Captain John Robinson and Jane Moodie Robinson were from Shetland originally but had lived in Hartlepool for around 15 years before Tom was born. First at 54 High Street, Stranton (1881 census) and latterly at 5 Granville Terrace, Grange Road (1891 census) where the children were listed along with a housekeeper.

The family, with the exception of the eldest son George W who remained in Hartlepool, returned to Shetland around 1900. Tom emigrated to Australia in 1912 and while he intended working as a farmhand, by 1915 he was a tram guard in Sydney. He enlisted with the 13th Btn AIF (Private 2679) and served at Gallipoli from October to December that year.

The following year saw him transfer to the 45th Btn AIF which deployed to France in June 1916. His battalion went into the lines on the 5th of August, East of Pozieres, and he was killed the following day during an artillery bombardment. Like over 4000 other Australian soldiers lost at Pozieres, he has no known grave.

On a visit to Hartlepool in 2010 I looked at the war memorials at the Headland and at Grange Road but I couldn't see his name there. I'm not sure if there are others that I didn't see but I wonder if his WW1 service is remembered in Hartlepool? If not, are there any plans as part of the centenary to ensure that all of those from Hartlepool that served in the Great War are remembered?

Thomas Gifford Robinson is not recorded on a local War Memorial.

Australia Virtual War Memorial
Shetland Roll of Honour
The CWGC entry for Private Robinson