On Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium is the name of 8918 Private Thomas Robson, serving with the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry who died 09/08/1915.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Robson born January 3rd 1886 at 10, New Wynd, Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland, one of 11 children of whom only 8 survived, he was the eldest of 4 sons and 4 daughters.
His father Thomas Snr born at Wrekenton, Gateshead in 1863, moved to Scotland where he married Mary Paterson.The young couple moved in with his parents Thomas Robson Snr and Jane Wearmouth in Aikenhead, Bothwell Parish, Lanarkshire, where he was employed as a coal miner. Thomas and his wife had 3 children before returning to the north-east, setting in the district of Chester le Street, County Durham and finally moving to Heworth by 1901, living at George Street, Felling, historically in County Durham. Thomas was employed as a shipyard labourer. Having moved to Brown’s Buildings by 1911 Thomas (24) had joined him at the shipyards, Sarah (15), Joseph (13) and Ellen (8) were scholars whilst William (4) and Arnold (2) were cared for at home by their mother.
Thomas, although still employed, enlisted as a Territorial in 1904 assigned to the 3rd Battalion Durham Light Infantry he attended their annual camp. On the outbreak of war on August 4th 1914 he was mobilised August 15th 1914 at South Shields and underwent training with the 3rd Battalion in reserve for service overseas before being transferred to the Regular Army, 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry as Private 8919. He departed to France, April 7th 1915, joining his Regiment in the field attached to the 18th Brigade, 6th Division in Flanders where they had participated on the Aisne, at Armentieres and were now on the Ypres salient. August 8th-9th 1915 they saw action at Hooge where they suffered the loss of over 50 officers and 1,500 men killed, wounded or missing.
Private 8918 Thomas Robson Durham Light Infantry was killed in action on August 9th 1915, sadly his body was not recovered due to the adverse conditions on the Ypres salient. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 54,616 names inscribed on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, Ypres, Belgium commemoration servicemen from Britain and the Commonwealth who died on the Ypres salient up to August 15th 1917 and who have no known grave. He was 28 years old and single.
His father Thomas received all monies due to him from the Army and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to him at 25b, Quarry Row, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham
It should be noted Thomas Robson also used the alias Paterson.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Robson is remembered in Felling on F32.07 and in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance page 205.
