On the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France is the name of 16/661 Sergeant Robert Todd, serving with the 3rd Platoon, ‘A’ Company, 16th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who died 01/07/1916.

The son of Jane Todd, of 5, Oxford Street, South Shields, and the late Henry R. Todd.

Robert Todd was born 14th June 1884 in South Shields the son of father Henry Routledge Todd, a bricklayer in a colliery and his wife Jane. They lived at 5 Oxford Street, South Shields.

Robert went aged 13 to Westoe Secondary School in 1907 and left in 1909.

He stated his trade as a clerk in a shipyard repair yard.

Robert enlisted at Newcastle and was embarked to France on the 22nd November 1915, at Boulogne. On the 23rd November 1915 an Embarkation Roll call was undertaken and Sgt Todd was moved from 4th platoon to the 3rd platoon still within ‘A’ Company.

On July the 1st, at 7.30am ‘B’ and ‘A’ Companies of the 16th Northumberland Fusiliers leapt out of their trenches to advance towards the German Front line on the right flank of Thiepval Village (Fort). They only reached No Man’s land and the survivors were pinned down by machine-gun fire from Thiepval Fort. At 7.55am ‘C’ and ‘D’ Companies followed up the first wave, with the same result. Sgt Todd was killed within the first 10 minutes with ‘A’ Company. This company took the heaviest casualties. It is reputed that a football was kicked at the beginning of the battle.

Robert Todd is remembered at Harton on H104.03, in Newcastle in NUT068 page 96, 153, and 178 and at South Shields on S86.090 and S86.107