Born in 1896 at Neyland near Milford in Pembroke, son of William (Foreman Ship Painter, later House & Ship painter and employee of Lockharts Caterers) and Mehala Robinson. 1901: With his family at a house in Church Lakes, Llanstadwell. In 1909 his mother died. 1911: A Part Time Errand Boy living with his widowed father, and siblings Linda Elizabeth (1896) and Jennie (1903) at 41 Parkside, Woodford Green (Walthamstow). When he enlisted at Loughton he gave his permanent residence as Buckhurst Hill, and served with 1/4 Essex Regiment, the local Territorial Battalion.
Sent out to the Middle East, he found himself in the line for the First Battle of Gaza. The 4, 5, and 6 Essex Battalions of 161 Brigade were not involved in the morning action, but occupied Mansura Ridge prepared to support 52 (Welsh) Division. The arrival of enemy reinforcements called them to readiness.
In front lay 3500 yards of open ground before the Turkish lines at Green Hill and the Labyrinth, with the highest Turkish position about 500 yards beyond that. Their orders were to capture and secure Green Hill, and 4 Essex held the position on the right flank. At about 16.00 troops began to advance without expected artillery support, each company in line of platoons as if on field maneuvers. About 1 mile from the Turkish lines machine guns began firing and men began falling. The Battalions then moved into open order and advanced almost at running pace, a single line about 1000 yards long.
Pausing to allow reinforcement from two reserve companies of 6 Essex, the men rushed the Turkish positions and took them at bayonet point. By nightfall Green Hill was occupied by what was left of 4 Essex, 5 Essex and 3 Companies of 6 Essex, who were busy adapting the former Turkish positions against counter attack. But the machine guns had taken their toll.
The C.O. of 4 Essex, Lt. Col Jameson was mortally wounded about 200 yards from the objective, nine Officers were dead, and half the Battalion, 436 men, were casualties. There was a certain level of confusion and lack of information at Brigade Headquarters, which resulted in 161 Brigade later being ordered to withdraw from Green Hill. Taking their wounded with some difficulty, by midnight on 26th March what remained of the Brigade were back in the positions at Mansura Ridge which they had left during the late afternoon. Among the dead was William Robinson.
He is also remembered on the Llanstadwell War Memorial Pembroke.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com
Regimental History