Photo: James Pasby
16324 Sapper
R. Kirby
Royal Engineers
19th April 1916
William Kirby and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
Robert was born at Accrington on January 14th 1884. His parents were John and Ellen (nee Holden) who had married in 1869 at St Mary the Virgin, Blackburn. He had several siblings including William, Benjamin, Walter, Betsy. James, Henry, Hannah and John. His father was a blacksmith by trade.
In 1904 when he was 20 Robert married Mary Jane Hurst at Haslingden, Lancashire soon after which daughter Hannah was born February 7th 1904.
At the age of 22 Robert enlisted into the army at Manchester on September 14th 1906 and was posted to the Royal Engineers with the service number 16324.
On enlistment the records show him to be 5’8” tall, 131 lbs weight, fresh complexion, blue eyes, brown hair and was listed as being a member of the Church of England.
The next piece of information is a bit garbled. It refers to identification marks which states “scar bridge of nose, female etc outside right forearm, wart right nipple between shoulder blades and back of left chest”.
Virtually from the date Robert joined up he was constantly in trouble. Both his service records and medical history are very colourful as he was constantly in bother. In fact, his offences and bouts of illness are probably too numerous to mention although some instances of his character will be given here.
He had only been in the service for 2 months when he presented with soft chancre ie a mild venereal problem which progressed over the years to full blown gonorrhoea of which he had several bouts. He also had associated problems with his condition.
Within in a year of Robert's service he was waiting trial for breaking out of the barracks and disobeying a lawful command given by his superior officer. Sometime later he was in trouble again, this time for offering violence to his superior officer. He was transferred to Army Reserve on September 13th 1909 on the expiration of his period of army service. The period between his transfer in 1909 and fully re-joining is uncertain.
It is recorded that on August 4th 1913 he was arrested by the civil powers for being drunk and riotous for which he was sentenced to 14 days custody.
He was transferred between units several times and then in June 1915 he embarked for the B.E.F. in France.
After re-joining the colours Robert had at least 2 injuries. He had a gunshot wound to the right foot about December 15th 1915 which was listed on a War Office casualty list. This entitled him to a wound stripe which is a stripe sewn on to his uniform sleeve. The more stripes the more injuries the man had incurred.
In fact, soon after his first injury, January 28th 1915, he received a gunshot wound to his right arm. He was attended to but his condition was considered serious enough to be boarded on HMHS Austurias for home. He rejoined his unit in September 1915.
On April 18th 1916 he was admitted to the Detention Hospital at Tynemouth Hospital in Northumberland. His condition is given as suffering from gastric catarrh and constipation. The following day, April 19th 1916 he died from a self inflicted injury.
An article in the Lancashire Evening Post Saturday 22/04/1916 gives a report to the circumstances surrounding his demise :-
“TRAGIC DEATH OF AN ACCRINGTON SOLDIER
Having been twice slightly wounded in France and sent to a detention hospital in Tynemouth, an Accrington soldier named Robert Kirby, Royal Engineers, came to a tragic end, the story of his death being unfolded at an inquest held at Tynemouth. He was 34 years of age and before the war resided at 9 South Street, Accrington.
A corporal named Leathley, of the R.A.M.C, said Kirby was admitted in hospital on 18th inst. On the morning of the following day the doctor saw the deceased and Kirby then said that he felt better. After the doctor left, however, witness heard a crash and found the deceased lying at the foot of some wooden stairs in a slightly dazed condition and with a slight cut on his forehead. He was put to bed and admitted having done it on purpose. Witness had occasion to leave for a few minutes and on getting downstairs he heard a crash of glass. He found the deceased lying on the concrete ground having apparently jumped from a window about 10ft. from the ground. He was unconscious and died about 2 hours afterwards.
Medical evidence was given to the effect that the deceased died from fracture of the base of the skull and the jury returned a verdict accordingly, adding that the death was due to the deceased having jumped out of a window at the hospital while of unsound mind.”
The inquest concluded that “death was caused by fracture to base of the skull, self inflicted, whilst of unsound mind”.
His brother, Walter, also fought in the Great War and was killed in action on January 7th 1916 which was only 3 months before Robert’s own death. His brother James was killed on July 5th 1916.
It was perhaps fortunate that his parents did not live to see the deaths of their 3 sons. Father, John, died in 1896 whilst his mother died 1910.
Robert is not remembered on a local War Memorial.
