In York Cemetery, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada is the family headstone of 11340, 349894 Private Henry Howey Robson, V.C. who served with the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Scots (The Lothian Regiment).

Henry Howey ‘Harry’ Robson was born at 40 Hampden Street in South Shields on the 27th May 1894, baptised 25th July 1894 at St Michaels church,  the second eldest of 10 children to Edward Robson, born Hetton 1859, and his wife Mary Robson nee Morris, born Monkwearmouth 1864. They were married in 1884.

The other children were:-

• Robert Mitchell Robson, born Sacriston, 27th January 1889. He was married to Winifred Agnes Robson and in 1921 they were residing at 57, Walpole Street, South Shields, with two children Robert Mitchell Robson, born 1914 and Winifred Agnes Robson, born 1918. The father was employed by the Harton Coal Company, but was unemployed. In 1939, he was residing at 12 Franklin Street, South Shields, a miner still unemployed.
• Edward Robson, born South Shields, 1897.
• Thomas Gillis Robson, born South Shields, 14th January 1900, baptised 21st February 1900, in 1913 Thomas joined the United Society Of Boilermakers & Iron Shipbuilders. Thomas enlisted into the Royal Navy on the 16th January 1918, Navy number K48485. He was 5 feet 1 inch, fresh complexion, brown eyes, dark hair. He trained at HMS Victory till the 30th January as a class II stoker, then from the 18th May 1918, trained as a Class I stoker before being discharged on the 26th March 1919. He married an Elizabeth Brown in 1926.
• James Robson, born 1902.
• Morris Robson, born 1906.
• Septimus Robson, born 1909.
• Elizabeth Hall Robson, born Nettlesworth, 1887, she married Thomas Heywood and they had 1 son and 4 daughters. In 1921, they were residing at 59 John Williamson Street, South Shields.

One child died at an early age. Another child is unidentified.

The family were residing at 11 Waterloo Lane, at South Shields in 1891. 1901 at 46 Hampden Street, South Shields. Henry Howey Robson was educated at the Mortimer Road, School at South Shields, until his parents moved to Shotton Colliery. By 1911, the family were residing at 87 Victoria Street, Shotton Colliery. His father was a miner in St Hilda’s Colliery and his mother Mary was a papermaker.

Henry Howey Robson enlisted into the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Scots (The Lothian Regiment), before April in 1914. The Battalion was based at Plymouth when the War broke out. Henry embarked for France with his battalion on the 11th August 1914.

During World War I, the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
On the 14th December 1914 near Kemmel, Flanders/Belgium, during an attack on a German position, Private Robson left his trench under very heavy fire and rescued a wounded NCO. Subsequently, during another attack, he tried to bring a second wounded man into cover, while exposed to heavy fire. In this attack he was wounded almost at once, but persevered in his efforts until wounded a second time.

There is an article about him in the Shields Gazette (undated) which reads:
Private H. H. Robson is a sample of the hero in whom modesty and bravery go hand in hand. In his letters home he has only stated the fact that he has been recommended for bravery. He has given no narrative of the heroism of the deed which has won him the most coveted decoration in the British Army the Victoria Cross. Private Robson is well known in South Shields where for many years he lived with his parents, residing in Garrick Street, before their removal to Shotton Colliery. Like his father he worked in the pits. He joined his regiment about three years ago and was stationed at Plymouth and expecting to go out to India when the war broke out. His regiment was called up in August and has been in the thick of the fighting. He is now in hospital as the result of his bullet wounds received while performing the feat of heroism which has won him his distinctions.

Henry was presented with his V.C. by King George V at Buckingham Palace on July 12th 1915. Afterwards, Queen Mary spoke to him.

Three days later he attended a civic reception in South Shields, and later in the year was awarded the Freedom of the Borough from the Mayor Councillor David Richardson on the 6th October 1915. A total of £73 was raised for him through the Mayor’s ‘Shilling Appeal’. His old school in the town at Mortimer Road, also presented him with a gold watch.

On the 24th May 1916, Henry Howey Robson was at the Mortimer Road School where he thanked the children for his gift. ‘I am not a public speaker, I am no use at that games. It does not say because I am a V.C. that I am a great man. There are others at the front who have done just as much as me, perhaps more. We must all make sacrifices to finish this war, and every soldier is doing his bit. We are trying to play the game and you, the rising generation, must keep up the reputation of the British.‘ (Cheers).
The Lord Mayor was given to understand that Private Robson had received a request to forward his photograph to be hung with those other British heroes in the Embassy at Paris. (Cheers).

Robson returned to France in November 1916 and was wounded on the first day of the Battle of the Ancre, he received a gun shot wound to his right foot and thigh and right hand, also he had an accidental injury which he had a Fractured Wrist. Because of his wounds, Henry was transferred into the Labour Corps, about July August 1917, with a new service number 349894. After being discharged on the 23rd September 1918, Henry had joined the Mercantile Marine, identity number 481795.

Henry received a pension of 12 shillings a week from the 5th April 1922, reduced from 16 shillings, which had commenced from the 24th September 1918.

After the war he worked as a steward on oil tankers running between Britain and South America. From the 27th July 1920, his vessel was the San Fraterno, ship number 135208. In 1921. He was employed by the Mexican Eagle Oil Company, but was out of work. Residing at 59 John Williamson Street. After this date he was boarding at 38 Malvern Street, Deans, South Shields.

Not uncommonly for the time, he sold his V.C. to a doctor for £80 to pay for his fare to to St. John’s, New Brunswick in Canada in the spring of 1923. He arrived at St John’s , as a visitor, with £60, on the 18th March 1923 on board the SS Marburn, ship number 111248. Henry had left on the 2nd March 1923 from Glasgow. Henry was staying at 40 Kings Street, St John’s, with a Mr Burpee.

Henry married Alice Maude Martin, born 29th August 1899, Edinburgh, died 1st November 1964 at Toronto, on the 9th February 1924, and they went on to have a son Henry, and four daughters, Doreen, Patricia, Victoria and Betty.

In 1951, his V.C. which had been bought by a Dunfermline solicitor, who lent it to him to wear at the V.C. Review in Hyde Park. The Medal eventually was presented to the Royal Scots Museum in Edinburgh by Robson’s daughter Patricia, where it is on display.
Robson returned to the UK for the Coronation in 1953, and again in 1956 for the Victoria Cross centenary celebrations.

On the 22nd February 1964. Henry Howie ‘Harry’ Robson, in ill health returned with his wife Alice, to his home in Toronto from Vancouver after visiting his daughters.

In Canada, he was a conductor with the Toronto Transit Commission, Eglington Division, then Henry joined the Government service, becoming a Sergeant-at-Arms in the Legislative Assembly in Ontario, Osgoode Hall, until his death from Cancer at age 70 on the 4th March 1964, [he suffered from cancer from about October 1962].

On the 7th February 1965, Mrs Bruce Gaskin of Toronto presented her fathers Victoria Cross to Hugh MacKenzie, a Toronto Lawyer who was attached to the regiment during World War 2.
Source: Toronto Star Monday, 8th February 1965.

He was buried in York Cemetery in Toronto, Canada.

Source : James Hoy Archive; British Newspaper Archive; National Archives; Western Front Association

Henry Howey Robson is remembered at South Shields on S86.141 and S86.162. There is also a road – Robson Close – named after him.