Great War Western Front Rouex June 1917 casualty group awarded to Lance Corporal G. Robinson, 12th Service Battalion, Manchester Regiment. From Salford and later Hulme, Lancashire, he saw service out on the Western Front from July 1915 where his battalion formed part of the 52nd Brigade in the 17th Division. Robinson was killed in action on 29 June 1917 during the fighting at Rouex to the east of Arras. Roeux was built over a system of caves which helped to make its capture in 1917 exceptionally difficult. The village was the scene of incessant fighting between April and August 1917.
1914-1915 Star, Victory Medal and Plaque with Memorial Scroll: 1914-1915 Star; (13884 PTE. G. ROBINSON. MANCH. R.); Victory Medal; (13884 PTE. G. ROBINSON. MANCH. R.); Memorial Plaque named to; (GEORGE ROBINSON), this last compete with paper inner envelope and outer card envelope.
Condition: first with one point slightly rubbed, otherwise Nearly Extremely Fine, the documents with creases and tears.
Together with the following original documentation:
Memorial Scroll named to: ‘L/Cpl. George Robinson Manchester Regt.’
Roll of Honour For King and Country to the Glory of God in Everlasting Memory Poster, bearing printed label for Robinson, buried in Browns Copse British Military Cemetery, France.
George Robinson was born in Salford and lived in Hulme, Lancashire, and having enlisted at Manchester, then saw service during the Great War as a Private (No.13884) with the 12th Service Battalion, Manchester Regiment, and was then present out on the Western Front from 16 July 1915 where his battalion formed part of the 52nd Brigade in the 17th Division.
The battalion first went into the line on the 24th July near Vierstaat and later southeast of St Eloi. For the rest of the year they were in and out of the frontline around Ypres. On the 2nd January 1916 the battalion went in to the trenches at Hill 60, and throughout February and early March the battalion remained in the Ypres area. On the 20th March they moved to Houplines and then in April, via LaCreche to Armentieres, where they went into the trenches once more. In June the 12th battalion underwent intensive training for the forthcoming battle of the Somme. They went into action on the 3rd July in an attack on Railway Copse and Bottom Wood near Fricourt, after a hectic advance to the front they found themselves in two old german trenches looking north towards Contalmaison where they remained until 5th July. On the 6th they advanced into Fricourt Wood and were ordered to take Quadrangle Trench (which previous attacks by two other battalions had failed to take) The attack took place in bright sunlight without any cover. The result was a disaster for the battalion with 555 men killed, missing or wounded. The remainder of the battalion moved back to Ville, then Hailly, then Long and Albert where it stayed for the rest of the month. 3rd August 1916 saw them in action again, in an attack on Orchard Trench, the attack was heavily disrupted by german artillery and failed. On the 5th they moved to Carnoy the later back to Montauban. There then followed a number of moves in the next few months, in and out of the front lines. At the end of the year, they found themselves at Guillemont.
Robinson was involved in the fighting around Rouex some 13 km’s from Arras when he was killed in action on 29 June 1917 when serving as a Lance Corporal. Roeux was built over a system of caves which helped to make its capture in 1917 exceptionally difficult. It was attacked by the 9th (Scottish) Division without success on 12 April. The chemical works close to the railway station were taken by the 51st (Highland) Division on 22 April, and after incessant fighting the village was cleared by the same Division on 14 May. The chemical works were lost on 16 May, and it was finally taken by the 51st Division on the following 26 August.
Robinson is buried in Brown’s Copse Cemetery at Roeux. Aged 32 at the time of his death, he was the husband of Mary Alice Robinson, of 72 Barrack Road, Chester Road, Hulme, Manchester.
