Photo: Rachel Greef with thanks

Photo: Rachel Greef. Memorial Plaque

Photo: Rachel Greef Personal effects document

T T Robson on guard duty

Morpeth Herald 02/03/1917 carries a brief obituary:
Mr and Mrs Robt. Robson, Station Road, Cramlington, have received news that their son, A.B. Thos. Todd Robson, R.N.D., has been killed in action.

Thomas Todd Robson was born on the 11th October 1897 at Cramlington, the only son of two children of Robert Robson, [born 1871 at Throckley, died 29th May 1925], and Margaret Ann [nee Todd], born June 1871 at Willington, died 17th June 1948, who resided at 79, Station Road, Cramlington, Northumberland. They had married on the 31st December 1896 at St Nicholas Church. Their second child was Mary Robson born 24th June 1907.

Margaret Ann Todd's father was Thomas Todd, born 23rd July 1833, died 27th December 1898, baptised on the 7th September 1833, married Ann Rogerson, born 1836, died 30th December 1901, on the 13th March 1854 at All Saints Church, Newcastle. They had 12 children. Ann being the eldest child. Thomas’ mother Margaret Ann Todd [1871-1948]. In 1855 the parents gave birth to their first daughter, also named Margaret Ann Todd, who sadly died in 1856. Their other children were Thomas [1857–1913]; George [1859–1861]; John [1861–1916]; Margaret [1863–1863]; George Rogerson [1864–1876]; William [1866–1940]; Richard [1869–1940]; James [1872–1932]; Matthew [1875–1949] and Sarah [1877–1961].

Thomas's father, Robert, was born in 1871 at Throckley, Northumberland and his mother, Margaret Ann, was born in June 1871 at Cramlington, Northumberland. Robert had followed in his father’s footsteps and had worked as a coal miner during his working life. Margaret Ann was working as a Dressmaker on the 1891 Census. Robert and Margaret were both living with their families before their marriage, the 1891 Census has Robert living at 79 Shankhouse Row, Cramlington and Margaret Ann at 28 Shankhouse Row, Cramlington.

On 24th June 1907 there was an addition to the family when Margaret Ann gave birth to Mary. In 1911 the family were residing at 95 Shankhouse Row, Cramlington and his father was working as a Coal Miner Hewer.

Thomas had been working as an apprentice joiner when war was declared in 1914. He was a tall young man and stood 5' 11" in height; his complexion was fair with blue eyes and brown hair and over his right eyebrow he had a scar. He had false teeth.

Thomas Todd Robson enlisted on Saturday 10th July 1915 at 'HMS Calliope' at Gateshead. He was given a Railway Warrant to travel to Kings Cross on Monday 12th July 1915.

Thomas was located at Crystal Palace at Sydenham which was the Depot for the Royal Naval Division.

During the First World War, it was used as a naval training establishment under the name of HMS Victory VI, informally known as HMS Crystal Palace. More than 125,000 men from the Royal Naval Division, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and Royal Naval Air Service were trained for war at Victory VI. Towards the end of the First War World War, the Crystal Palace re-opened as the site of the first Imperial War Museum; in 1920 this major initiative was fully launched with a program as the 'Imperial War Museum and Great Victory Exhibition Crystal Palace' (published by Photocrom). A few years later the Imperial War Museum moved to South Kensington, and then in the 1930s to its present site Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park, formerly Bedlam.

On the 14th July, Thomas failed his medical inspection due to having false teeth, as the requirement is that they will not pass anyone for Foreign Service who have false teeth. He was in the 11th Section, 'D' Company, 4th Battalion service number 684. 'D' Company was commanded by Lieutenant Rees. [the 4th Battalion then was commanded by Sir Harry Mainwaring], There was an inspection by a General on this day, however Thomas did not know the name of the General.

Thomas was a prolific letter writer and his letters have survived today, {see a transcript of the letters below}, they give a good insight of what it was like over 100 years ago.

Thomas was for accounting and training purposes, in Victory VI training base, 4th Battalion, 4/454, from the 10th July, then transferred to Victory IX on the 5th November which was the 3rd Reserve Battalion, D/306 Blandford, and finally Victory III Hawke Battalion R3/844 on the 16th February. His character was [V]ery [G]ood and his ability [Sat]isfactory.

Thomas received 8s a week, but 5s was being sent home to his parents. In his letters he states that he has to buy own collars at 2s each, and asked his parents to send his Health Insurance Card number.

The above photograph of him was taken on the 10th August 1915, the background was a standard studio background which appears on other photographs of other Naval Division personnel around this era. Also in August, Thomas mentioned the 'Zepps' [Zeppelins], over London. In the last week of August the 22nd, everybody under 18 had to go before the Commodore, there was 400 in all, Thomas was under 18, so he was included.

Thomas was on guard duty at the Main Entrance where another photograph was taken with Thomas showing as the Guard and the officers as well, these appear in the R.N.D. souvenir booklets which were sent to Thomas's parents.

In September 1915, Thomas was transferred to Company 'E' in 6th Section, service number 493. He was told that there would be no leave until he has been there for three months. He hopes to be home on leave in October.

Thomas was moved into the 5th section. In October he was at Musketry classes learning to fire his rifle. On the 4th November he was transferred to Blandford in Dorset. On the 6th November he wrote to inform his mother that he arrived at Blandford at 6.00 pm after leaving Crystal Palace at 4.30 pm. Thomas was now TZ/5942, 6th Section, 14th Platoon, 'D' Company, 3rd Reserve Battalion.

Because of his good shooting abilities he was picked for the Machine-gun section.

From the 1st January 1916 his new address was 'D' Company, 3rd Hawke Battalion. RND, Eastern Mediterranean Squadron, c/o G.P.O., London. He left Blandford on the 16th February 1916. Thomas arrived at Mudros, on the island of Lemnos, about the 28th February aboard the 'Olympic', ship number 131346, [sister ship to the Titanic]. It was decided that the three islands should be garrisoned by the 1st Royal Navy Brigade, the Hawke Battalion was based at Imbros with the Drake Battalion and the H.Q of the 1st R. N. Brigade, one company from the Hood Battalion went to Tenedos and the rest of the 1st Brigade to Mudros. The only strictly military duty falling to the garrisons of the islands was at Imbros and Tenedos, where detachments had to take over from the R.N.A.S., three anti-aircraft guns. The crews were found from volunteers from the Hawke and Drake Battalions. Otherwise it was routine police work, with examination of persons passing in and out of the garrison area.

On the 18th May 1916, the Hawke Battalion embarked on the 'Franconia', ship number 131315, for Marseilles arriving on the 23rd May 1916. The battalion was transported by train to an area near Abbeville to be re-equipped. The Division now under Army Command was re-named the 63rd (R.N.) Division with the two brigades re-numbered as the 188th and 189th Infantry Brigade with an addition of a third brigade the 190th.

Thomas wrote saying he now gets 65s per month. He was in 12th Platoon, 'C' Company, and is an [A]ble [B]odied seaman. On the 2nd June there was an accident due to a faulty bomb, [grenade], killing Sub-Lieutenant Hancock and two men, this was mentioned in Thomas's letters dated 8th June 1916. At La Compte the Hawke Battalion did some company training and bayonet training. On June 15th, part of the battalion moved forward to Barlin, 216 men, [including Thomas], and 14 officers from the Hawke were detached for training or Course of Instruction did not go forward to Barlin. On the 17th July the Naval Division finally took over a sector of the line.

Thomas was now in the Lewis Gun section of 'C' Company. He had been on courses learning about Lewis Guns. The Battalion were based at the Souchez II sector, it was one of the quietest sectors in the Souchez Valley which runs east to west immediately to the north of Vimy Ridge. The Naval Division was involved in the Battle of Ancre, and here they suffered heavy losses. They were withdrawn from the battle area for two months' rest in the area of Rue. An attack had been planned for the 3rd February at 11pm. The Hawke and Hood Battalions had each three companies detailed for the attack and the fourth in support, the four companies in the centre being in two waves of two platoons each and the flanking companies in three waves on a narrower frontage. The Left Battalion, Hawke had the harder task, as their advance uncovered their flankand a defensive flank had to be formed. 'A' Company of the support Battalion, (Nelson), was detailed to assist the support company of the Hawke Battalion in this work. The Hood battalion had no appreciably lighter task, since their objective consisted not only of a well defined sector of the enemy trenches, but of an ill-defined group of posts in the valley. The capture of these necessitated a half-right turn, an obvious source of confusion in a night advance, by platoons on the right.

An effort had been made to link up the line of shell-holes, which constituted our first line, into a continuous trench to form an assembly position for the first two waves, and though the shelter provided was negligible, it was here that the attacking companies lined up at 9pm on the evening of the 3rd. The was a keen frost and a brilliant moon.

The distance to the first enemy line [Puisieux trench], was three hundred yards, and to the second line barely another hundred yards. The whole attack, from the time when the barrage opened to the time when it lifted off the enemy's second line, was to last 8 minutes.

Following close behind the barrage, which was exceptionally accurate and effective, the leading waves entered the first trench without great opposition except from a machine-gun in a fortified emplacement opposite the centre of the right 'D' Company of the Hawke Battalion. This machine-gun proved as it turned out, the pivot of a very vigorous defence by the Germans. The Hawke Battalion, 'C' Company commanded by Lieutenant Commander Shelton had achieved a success on the left flank, they had captured and were consolidating the important flank position at the juncture of River Trench and Artillery Lane, where the enemy reaction was likely to be the strongest. However the Nelson Battalion had failed to obtain a junction with the Hawke left, which resulted in the Germans retaining a lodgement between the two battalions. It was in this action that Thomas was killed by a sniper shot in the head about 11.40pm. According to a letter his mother received he died 11 hours later without regaining consciousness.

Source : The Royal Naval Division Douglas Jerrold.

Two days before his death Thomas was promoted to a Lance Jack, [Higher Grade], an A/B W.H. Weir service number KP447 in the same Lewis Gun section as Thomas wrote a letter to Mrs Robson :
France
Sunday 4th March 1917
Dear Mrs Robson
I am sorry to say that your son was killed on 3rd February. I was with him at the time, in fact I was his best chum ever since he came to Imbros.

I always knew your address as there was nothing kept secret between us two.

I am sorry I did not write before but we have been so busy as we are always.

Tom used to always write as often as he could, but we could never get the chance.

Tom missed the Battle of Ancre as he went away on a course of Lewis Gun. Tom was never very strong but he was a game lad. He wanted me to visit you after the war was over and I will do so if I am lucky enough, so as to tell you where his grave is as I am not allowed to do so in this letter.

Well Mrs Robson I am sorry to say that I was too much upset to take anything out of his pockets as you might have wanted a little keepsake of him.

Tom’s parcel was given out amongst the fellows who was in his team. Tom was made an H.G.A.B. or in other words a Lance Jack two days before we went over. Tom’s Sergeant is also writing to you. We did not want to write to you in your hour of grief as we were certain that you knew what had happened.

My address is A/B W.H. Weir No. KP447, Lewis Gun Section, C Company, 1st Hawke Batt, 63rd (RN) Division.
You have my most heartfelt sympathy in the loss of your son as where you have lost a most loving son I have lost a good and kind chum.

I must say that I have been very lucky as I enlisted four days after the war began and I have been on Active Service for two years next month.

Please let Miss Violet and Tom’s Aunt know as soon as possible as I know that they are most anxious too about him. Will you please let me know if you receive this letter alright.

I am enclosing this letter with one to my mother in a green envelope so you will know why it has not got on active service on it. Please excuse the writing also the way I have put the letter together as I am no letter writer. I hope this will find you in good health as it leaves me in the pink.
I remain, yours sincerely
W.H. Weir
P.G. A. Findlay
Z/4396 C Company
Lewis Gun Section
Hawke Batt.
France

Another letter from his commanding officer dated Wednesday 7th March 1917
Dear Mrs Robson
It is with the greatest of sympathy that I write these few lines informing you of your poor son Tom’s death. I would have wrote sooner but I left it to Tom’s best mate and I got the papers with your note in it and I could see by it you had not received word from him.

Well my dear Mrs Robson, I am the Petty Officer in charge of C Company Lewis Guns in which Tommy was in. I used to be an Able Seaman along with Tom until that big push then I got promoted and on the 1st February, I recommended poor Tommy and he got one stripe and we went over again on the 3rd and poor Tom got shot by a sniper while firing his gun and I may tell you it gave his chums a shock because he was very well liked by all of them and I may say for myself he was the bravest and smartest soldier ever I had under me.

There was one thing all of us were very thankful for, he died very quickly and quietly, he died clinging to his gun.
I think this is all at present.

From his sorrowing chums and myself.
Yours
Petty Officer Findlay

Rosherville V.A.D. Hospital, Burch Road, Gravesend, Kent
Thursday 19th April 1917
Dear Mrs Robson
Many thanks for your letter which I received this morning. I am very pleased to say that I am now quite better and I am only waiting till the military doctor comes round on Monday to discharge the fit men and I shall be one of those (worst luck). So you see I shall be home on Tuesday or Wednesday after I have been to Chatham for a new rig out. I should like two or three weeks in England but I am afraid it cannot be done as there is more work to be done in that worst of all countries, France. I am glad to hear you agree with me that it is so far to come and see you. I would like to come and visit you but let’s hope I will be as lucky in the future as I have been in the past. I will now tell you everything about Tom’s death. He got shot in the head on the night of February 3rd about twenty minutes to twelve by a sniper. From the minute he got hit till when he died he never spoke a word as he was unconscious, although his eyes were open. I attended to him with the first aid as much as I knew which was very hard as we were up against what the papers called a stronghold but if there had been some R.A.M.C. fellows anywhere near (which is never the case when they are needed), Tom would have been living today, but I could not say this to you in a letter while I was in France as I would have got into trouble talking about the R.A.M.C. Tom lived about eleven hours after he was hit but he never spoke a word the time he was alive.

I met a fellow who was burying some of our lads about two days after we came out of action and he said that he was buried at the place where the battle of the tanks was fought. Beaumont Hamel but I have never had the chance of seeing his grave as we have never been to that part of the line since. I quite understand your feelings Mrs Robson about how dear old Tom was with you as I am the same to my parents, being the only child. You should have received all Tom’s private belongings long since but you know what sort of fellows there are in the army of today. There are quite a lot who would not care much about robbing a dead comrade so you understand my meaning. I have never forgiven myself for not taking the things out of his pockets but you will understand I was upset after he got hit. You are mistaken Mrs Robson when you say Tom was on the pictures as Tom was miles away on a Lewis Gun course. It was between Tom and I to go on this course of Lewis Gun so we spun a coin up and Tom won. That means that Tom went away for a few days while I had to go into the battle of the Ancre on 13th November which I did and then I got my leave soon after I came out. So your two girl friends are mistaken about seeing Tom on the pictures.

I hope this letter will find you and Mr Robson, also Little Mary in the best of health as it leaves me the same at present.
I remain your loving friend.
Will

Robert Robson died on the 29th May 1925 at 1 Park Terrace, Newcastle-upon-Tyne leaving effects of £1343 to William Robson traffic manger.

In 1939 Margaret Ann was living with Mary Greef, born 24th June 1907 and her husband John Greef, born 3rd November 1901. He was a Voluntary Ambulance Driver for the Tynemouth ARP.

In 1948 Margaret Ann [Thomas's mother] was residing at 2 Belvedere Hunt Hill at North Shields. She left effects of £1721 14s 1d to Mary Greef wife of John Greef.

Thomas Todd Robson is remembered in Cramlington on C60.03

Hawke Battalion (Royal Naval Division)
The CWGC entry for Able Seaman Robson