Family Background

Walter Ord Robinson was born in Linton in 1895, the son of Joe Bolton Robinson, a farmer, and his wife, Hannah Robinson (nee Ord).

In 1911, Walter was living with his parents, his younger brother Fred and his two sisters, Amy Mary and Ada, at Cragg Hall, Linton Road, Wetherby. Walter was working on his father's farm.

Service record

On the 6th December 1915 Walter enlisted for service and he was mobilised on the 25th May 1916 as a gunner (service number 84333) in the Royal Garrison Artillery. A few days later he was posted to the Clyde Royal Garrison Artillery. This was a large training and processing camp and Walter was posted on from there on the 12th June 1916 to 150 Siege Battery, RGA. After two months training and preparation this battalion embarked in Southampton bound for France on the 26th August 1916, disembarking next day in Le Havre and joining the British Expeditionary Force. Siege Batteries of the RGA were equipped with heavy howitzers, which fired large calibre high explosive shells in a high trajectory onto the target.The usual armaments were 6 inch, 8 inch and 9.2 inch howitzers, although some batteries had huge railway, or road-mounted, 12 inch howitzers. As British artillery tactics developed, the Siege Batteries were most often employed in destroying or neutralising the enemy artillery, as well as putting destructive fire down on strongpoints, dumps, store, roads and railways behind enemy lines.

Walter served with 150 Siege Battery for just under a year before being granted leave to the UK from the 20th to the 30th June 1917. On return to France he rejoined his unit and continued to serve.

On the 23rd March 1918, Walter's name appears on the War Office gassed casualty list. He was affected by a gas shell and was admitted to Number 6 General Hospital in Rouen.

In early April he was fit to return to duty and after a brief posting at the base depot, Walter was posted to 120 Siege Battery, RGA, and he served out his time until the end of the war with that unit. He was granted another leave period in the UK from 20th December 1918 until 3rd January 1919, before finally returning to the UK on the 24th January 1919 for dispersal. From 26th January until 19th March 1919, Walter was held on the register at Wimbledon, until he was finally discharged on the 19th March 1919.

After the war

Walter returned to Yorkshire and on the 30th December 1920 he married Mary Jane Hemmings in Wetherby. He later lived at 2, Northgate Lane in Linton. In 1939, at the time of the National Registration Act, Walter was living at Crag Hall, Wetherby with his widowed mother Hannah, his wife Mary and a son, Hubert J Robinson who had been born in 1926. Walter gave his occupation as a Dairy Farmer, but his record also notes that he was in the Special Constabulary.

Walter Ord Robinson died in 1987.

Biography last updated 18 February 2021 12:41:19.