| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
George Henry Robson, known as “Harry” was born in 1887 in Welton, the son of William Robson, a farm worker, and Mary Ann (nee Catterick). In 1901, aged 14, Harry was employed by farmer David Frankish, of Cobble Hall, Catwick as a cattle man.
Harry enlisted at Beverley on the 16 Feb 1903 with the Gloucester Regiment, but was discharged after 67 days service on 7 Apr 1903 as “unlikely to become an efficient soldier”. Undeterred, he joined the Royal Garrison Artillery and by 1911 he was stationed with this regiment in Columbo, Ceylon. After his return to England, he married Alice Frances M Philpott, daughter of Edward and Jane Philpott of Minster, Sheppey in 1914.
At the outbreak war he embarked for France with 1st Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery on 17 Sep 1914. The Hull Daily Mail of 28 Jan 1916 reported that Harry had returned to England and was now an instructor of Artillery recruits. A further Hull Daily Mail report of 17 Oct 1916 gave the news that Corporal G H Robson, after being wounded and treated in a French Hospital, was now back at the Front. A year later he was wounded again and on 3 Oct 1917, the Hull Daily Mail reported Sergeant G H Robson was in hospital in Newcastle. In a letter to his mother he said he had been buried under a wrecked building caused by an exploding shell. He had a broken leg and a crushed foot.
Harry received the British War Medal, the Victory Medal, the 1914 Star and Clasp, and (as a wounded man) the Silver War Badge.
Harry returned to his wife Alice in Kent, they had nine children. He died in Sittingbourne in 1961.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |