Pte Wilfred Robbins died 24/12/1916

[christine liava'a]

Remembering Today:

Pte Wilfred ROBBINS, 28443 1 Bn, Cheshire Regt, who died on 24.12.16. Gorre British & Indian Cemetery, France

Name: ROBBINS

Initials: W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Cheshire Regiment

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Date of Death: 24/12/1916

Service No: 28443

Additional information: Son of Mrs. H. Robbins, of 81, Newgate St., Worksop, Notts.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: III. D. 19.

Cemetery: GORRE BRITISH AND INDIAN CEMETERY

GORRE BRITISH AND INDIAN CEMETERY

Country: France

Locality: Pas de Calais

Location Information: Gorre is a hamlet 2.5 kilometres north of Beuvry, and 4 kilometres east of Bethune. Leave Beuvry on the D72, crossing the railway and then the Canal d'Aire on the way. The Cemetery is 150 metres from the church in Gorre, to the left of the D72 (Rue de Festubert).

Historical Information: The chateau at Gorre was occupied early in the war by troops from the United Kingdom and India and the cemeteries, in the south-east corner of the chateau grounds, were begun in the autumn of 1914. The Indian part of the cemetery was closed in October 1915, when the Indian Corps left France. The cemetery was used by units holding the sector until April 1918, when, in the Battles of the Lys, Gorre became a support post close behind the front line. The 55th (West Lancashire) Division, which held this front before and during the German attack, buried many of their dead in Plots V and VI. A few graves were brought into the cemetery later from near Gorre and from Mesplaux Farm, near Locon. There are now 929 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 36 of the burials are unidentified and there are special memorials to four servicemen whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The cemetery also contains nine war graves of other nationalities, most of them German. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.

[Guest Pete Wood]

SDGW gives the following:

Born and enlisted in Worksop, Nottinghamshire [Robin Hood country - and a large coal mining district]

Killed in Action.

Formerly 21386 Notts and Derby Regiment.

[John_Hartley]

Wilfred was one of two members of the Bn killed that day (SDGW).

The History of the Cheshires notes that the 1st had not seen major action since Morval in September. We can probably assume, therefore, that his was one of the "usual" deaths which occured whilst holding the line.

[Myrtle]

Wilfred was 5 years old at the time of the 1901 census.