CWGC 4th from right
CWGC Headstone
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Robert Wilkinson, one of 8 children, all of whom survived, was the youngest of 5 sons and had 2 elder and 1 younger sister. His father Edward Wilkinson, born at Tanfield, County Durham, in 1858 was married in 1880, district of Gateshead, County Durham, to Ellen Turnbull of Winlaton, Gateshead, born 1858. They settled at Tanfield, where daughter Kate was born in 1881, John 1883, Susannah 1884, Richard 1886 and James 1890. Edward supported his family employed as a colliery engineer at South Garesfield Colliery Gateshead, near Rowlands Gill. Over the next ten years his wife gave birth to a further 3 children, Edward Jnr in 1891, Robert, August 17th 1892 and Polly in 1896. They remained at Rowland Gill but had moved to Derwent View by 1901. Edward was now assisted by his elder children in maintaining the household, Kate (20) was a dressmaker for her own account, John (18) a house joiner and Richard (14) an errand boy. This had changed by 1911 as the family had left County Durham and settled at 16, Plantation Row, Dinnington, Northumberland, John, Richard and James had joined him at the colliery as hewers, Edward Jnr (18) also worked below ground as a rope lad, Robert (17) a shaft boy, Polly (15) was their only daughter still living at home.
War was declared with Germany in August 1914, Robert left his employment as a coal miner and enlisted January 30th 1915, after a brief period of training he was drafted as part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, September 9th 1915, where he joined Drake Battalion Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve September 21st as Able Seaman Tyneside Z/3717. Drake was one of the battalions formed August 16th 1914, an idea of Winston Churchill the First Lord of the Admiralty, from the surplus men of the Naval Reserve but training was slow because resources were needed for the rapid expansion of the Army. Able Seaman Wilkinson served in Gallipoli attached to the 63rd Royal Naval Division, after the evacuation from Gallipoli the RND was sent to France to participate in the final stages of the Battles of the Somme in 1916. Hood Battalion was deployed along with Howe and Hawke during the Battle of Ancre as 1st RMLI, Anson, Nelson and Drake 2nd RMLI. When the battle began in the early hours of November 13th 1916 they were ordered to crawl across no-man’s land towards the German line under the cover of a creeping barrage but about 50 per cent of the day's total casualties occurred before the first German trench was taken.
He was absent from his battalion from November 22nd until January 10th 1917 recovering from urethra stricture disease.
Drake Battalion, January- March 1917 was engaged in the Operations on the Ancre and also participated during the Battles of Arras, which raged from April 9th-May 16th 1917 at the 2nd Battle of the Scarpe, April 23rd-24th, where the 63rd R.N.D. captured Gavrelle, and the Battle of Arleux, April 28th-29th, before moving to Belgium participating during the Battle of Passchendaele between October 26th-November 10th, a phase pf the Third Battle of Ypres, July 31st-November 10th 1917. December 30th 1917 it was involved during the action of Welsh Ridge in the lead up to the Cambrai operations.
Able Seaman Wilkinson was reported as missing and or wounded December 30th 1917, his father whom he had nominated as next of kin, living at 19, Armstrong Street, Burn Close, Callerton, Westerhope, Northumberland, was informed. News was eventually received via official channels, that he had been captured and was a prisoner of war in Germany.
It is highly probable that Able Seaman Wilkinson was held at Soltau, which contained 35,000 men of all nationalities, as after the Armistice of November 11th 1918, he was released and transported over the border to Enschede, in neutral Holland, where sadly he died of pneumonia, January 9th 1919.
Able Seaman Tyneside Z3717 Robert Wilkinson R.N.V.R. was interred at Enschede Eastern General Cemetery, Overijssel, Holland (Netherlands) reference, far end of cemetery, right of main path, one of 11 WW1 casualties. He was 25 years of age and single.
His father received all monies due to his son, his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, his mother Ellen applied for a pension. Edward Wilkinson commissioned at a cost of 9 shillings 4 pence an additional inscription to be added to his son’s military headstone, it reads, "Callerton, Newcastle Ever Remembered.”
Edward Wilkinson (78) died in the district of Castle Ward, Northumberland, (including Westerhope) in 1936, his widow Ellen Wilkinson nee Turnbull (80) in 1939 registered at Northumberland South.
It should be noted that the CWGC have in error posted that Able Seaman Wilkinson was born at Callerton. His family were living in the area of Callerton at the time of his demise, all official documents provide proof that the entire family originated from the district of Gateshead, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Robert Wilkinson is remembered at Whorlton on W53.01
