| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
James Wilfred Robson was born in Beverley the 11 Mar 1894, the son of David Robson and Martha (nee Iverson). David was from Hutton Cranswick and in 1891 was a hairdresser in Huddersfield. He married Martha Iverson in Hull in May 1891 and, by 1897 was advertising in the Hull Daily Mail for an apprentice to work with him in Wednesday Market, Beverley. James had four siblings, Harold Seymour, Percival Stanley, Ernest Sydney and Margaret Patricia. In Nov 1908 James Wilfred's mother Martha passed away suddenly aged 40. In 1913 David took his three youngest children and emigrated to Canada, later moving to the USA. Harold took over the family hairdressing business and James worked as a clerk at the East Riding Lunatic Asylum
On 6 Nov 1915 James enlisted in the 11th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, the Hull Pals. His service record states he resided with his brother at 4 Wednesday Market Place, Beverley, was 21 years old, five feet and seven and a half inches tall, 118 lbs in weight with a 34 inch chest and had 6:6 vision with his glasses on. His brother Harold was listed as his next of kin.
On 3 Apr 1916 James was posted to France and on 21 Jul 1916 was killed in action, though the press at the time reported his death as being on the 22nd. According to the Battalion war diary there was very little action seen on either day. He was buried at the Military Cemetery at Rue-du-Bacquerot. He was awarded the Victory Medal and the British Medal and is remembered on the Beverley War Memorial.
All correspondence in his service record is between the War Office and a Miss Gertrude Fell, James's fiancée, although his Death Plaque and scroll were sent to his father in the USA. Gertrude Fell passed away on 13 Feb 1962, a spinster, and dearly loved by her sister Mabel.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |