No 3 William James Robinson
William James Robinson (1895-1914) in Malta eldest son of Frederick and Kate Robinson- (Fred was in the East Surreys Regiment stationed in Malta when he married Kate and William was born)- killed in action 24/8/1914 while holding the line at the canal near Mons France
They were originally buried where they fell in isolated graves in the Communes and Herbieres.During the war the bodies of these soldiers were exhumed and reburied by the Germans in certain graves in Hautrage Military Cemetery but, unfortunately, it proved impossible to identify the graves individually. “In the circumstances it had been decided to mark each of the graves with a Special Cross to bear the name, regimental particulars and date of death of one of the soldiers and an inscription reading ‘Buried near this spot’. ” The number of the grave which was marked with the name of Private W.J. Robinson is 131
William enlisted as a boy soldier and there are no known details but his niece Moira Jones has two letters sent to her mother Ellen Maude (his sister)from Ireland shortly before the 1914-18 war and he told her he was expecting to be posted any day and he would be glad to leave Ireland. He also said he longed to be home for the summer to be with them all. That was not to be as he was dead before the summer was over and died in the first week of the war. There were others like him anxiously wanting to go to war but they were boys. They went anyway and their lives were over before they had begun.
The family home was in Kingston-On -Thames close to the East Surrey’s Regimental Headquarters
Nelle's journey 