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ROBINSON, Pte. Edwin, 4762. 19th Bn. Australian Inf. Killed in action 12th April, 1918. Age 19. Son of Eleanor Mary Robinson, of 65A, Belmont Road, Mosman, New South Wales, and the late Edwin Robinson. Native of Manchester, England. Boves West Communal Cemetery B. 22.

6778 Private Edwin Robinson, of the 8th Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps AIF, enlisted in 1915, and died of accidental injuries 19 June 1916. He was 39 years of age, the husband of Eleanor Mary Robinson, of Mosman, NSW. Eleanor stated on his roll of honour circular, “My husband Private Edwin Robinson served his King and country as a policeman for 14 years, and came to Australia with his family in 1912, and enlisted in 1915 with the A.I.F. He was the ex champion swimmer of the police force in England.” Edwin had been born at Manchester, in England, and he is buried in the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery. In his Red Cross file, several of his mates gave evidence that he had been ailing for some time, and was taken to the New Zealand Stationery Hospital at Moascar in Egypt. One of his friends who visited him in the hospital only a few days before he died said that he was suffering from bilharzia, which is a parasitic disease caused by several species of fluke, especially in areas like Africa and Asia where the water contains numerous freshwater snails, which carry the parasite. Robinson was also badly burned on the face and chest at this time, caused by bumping into an orderly carrying a primus stove in the hospital, and apparently the burns were the primary cause of death.

His son, also Private Edwin Robinson, regimental number 4762, served with the 19th Battalion, AIF, and was killed in action on the 12 April 1918. He was only 19 years old when he died. Young Edwin was 13 years old when he had come to Australia from Manchester England, with his parents. His mother Eleanor stated on his roll of honour circular that “My dear son was only 17 when he enlisted but was a fine manly boy and looked older than his years. He was twice wounded and had two years of service in Egypt, Belgium and France.”

Edwin had left Sydney in April 1916, with reinforcements for the 19th Battalion, and joined the unit in France during September 1916. He was evacuated to England with a severe case of trench feet in November 1916, and the following year, in September 1917, he suffered a gunshot wound to his right arm, and was again evacuated to England. He returned to France for the third time in January 1918, and was killed in action with the 19th Battalion on the 12 April 1918. He was killed whilst travelling through the town of Boves, about 6 miles behind the front line near Amiens. The Germans opened up a sudden bombardment on the village and Robinson was struck by a piece of artillery shell and killed instantly. He is one of only five Australians buried in the Boves West Communal Cemetery, France.

Eleanor Robinson wrote to Major Lean of the AIF records in late 1921, “I was indeed pleased to receive both the King’s Message and the Scroll which is beautiful and the words went straight to my heart and made me feel both proud and yet sad. I can promise you and all the world that my dear ones will never be forgotten by all that knew and loved them in this world. I hope to meet them in the next world where there are no wars or sorrows. Thank you for your kindness and for sending the Scroll in such a splendid condition. I will have it framed so every one of my friends will see it. I would love to have one in honour of my late son, yours, Eleanor Robinson.”

She also wrote later “In regards to the graves of my dear husband and son, I am very sorry to know that you will not be sending a copy of the graves when the stone is on them; how I wish it could be done, it would make me feel happier; as it is now they look so lost looking to me, but I thank you for them all the same as I know you are doing your best for the honour of our fallen loved ones. I am sorry I sent too large an inscription, and now I will write a short one. To my dear husband Private Edwin Robinson, 6778, 8th Field Ambulance, AIF, “there is a sweet nest in heaven, from wife”, and to my dear son, Private E. Robinson, 4762, 19th Battalion, AIF, “sweetly resting in peace with God, from mother”

Eleanor was another mother who had exceeded the 66-character limit on headstone inscriptions, which was a common occurrence. She would be further saddened by the loss of her son’s kit which was being returned to Australia aboard the SS Barunga, which was sunk by German submarines in transit.