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Stephen Henry Robson

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Stephen Henry Robson
Robson Stephen Henry.jpg
Sunday Times 10 Sep 1916
Personal Information
Date of Birth not known
"not known" contains an extrinsic dash or other characters that are invalid for a date interpretation.
Place of Birth Canning Mill, Western Australia
Death 25 Jul 1916
Place of Death Pozieres, France
Age at Enlistment 31 years old
Description 6'1¼" (1.87m) tall ; 177 lbs
80.286 kg
; medium complexion ; grey eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation Farrier
Religion Roman Catholic
Address NOK 47 Lake street, Perth, Western Austalia
Next of Kin Step Brother , Mr William Robson
Military Information
Reg Number 2831
Date of Enlistment 3 Jul 1915
Rank Driver
Unit/Formation 11th Battalion, 9th Reinforcement / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation 5 Oct 1915 ‒ 27 Oct 1915
Ship Embarked On HMAT A20 Hororata
Date of Return Fremantle to Port Tewfik
"Fremantle to Port Tewfik" contains an extrinsic dash or other characters that are invalid for a date interpretation.
Fate Killed in Action 25 Jul 1916 Poziéres, France
Monument Villers-Bretonneux Memorial
Australian War Memorial
Medals 1914-15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal




Pre War

Served for 2 years with the 3rd Western Australian contingent to the Boer War.

Electoral Roll entries - 1910 Lucknow, blacksmith; 1912 Worsley, mill hand; 1913 Victoria street, Bunbury, labourer

War Service

Enlisted in the AIF in Geraldton on 30 Jun 1915, and entered Blackboy Hill camp on 3 Jul 1915. Stephen was allocated to the 9th reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion, and on 5 Oct 1915 travelled with it to Egypt aboard HMAT A20 Hororata. Before travelling, however, he was charged at Blackboy Hill with having been AWOL from 8 Sep 1915 until 10 Sep 1915. Only punishment appears to be that he forfeited 2 days pay. At Habieta, Egypt, while with 1st Training Battalion waiting to be taken on by the 11th Battalion he was on 29 Dec 1915 charged with being absent from the 7:00am parade on 27 Dec 1915. For this he was awarded 6 days confined to barracks. Taken on strength by the 11th Battalion on 7 Jan 1916 he was allocated to 'A' Company in Tel-el-Kebir, and on 30 Jan 1916 at Habieta, in Egypt, Stephen was appointed as a Pack Animal Driver.


He boarded HMT Corsican at Alexandria on 29 Mar 1916 to travel to Marseilles to join the British Expeditionary Forces in France. They arrived in Marseilles on 5 Apr 1916, and moved to the area known as the "nursery" - the front lines south of Ypres and north of the Somme.


In the early morning of 23 Jul 1916 the battalion was a part of the first attack on enemy positions at Poziéres. A Company was a part of the first line of attackers, but it is not clear if Stephan was with them, in which case the date of his death could be 23 Jul 1916. Officially Stephen's death is listed to of occurred between 22 and 25 Jul 1916. However, given that the attack didn't start until after midnight 22 July, that Stephen's body was never found, his role in the battalion, and that on 25 Jul 1916 from 6:30am until 6:00pm the enemy carried out one of the heaviest bombardments of the war, it is likely that he was killed during this period.


  • Villers Bretonneux Memorial 2015 photo Linton Reynolds
  • Section of the 11th Battalion panels

Notes

1. Newspaper report states he was of York and Mundijong. Born in Canning Mills.

2. While the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website advises that Stephen's name is included on the 11th Battalion's panel of the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, a 2015 photograph of the panel shows that his name is not listed.

3. Although he gave his step-brother as NOK, his medals, plaques, etc. were issued to a full sister Catherine Citroni.


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