Henry, older by more than ten years, gave consent for his 19-year-old brother, Horace Frederick Robinson to enlist in the AIF. Both lived in Cowper Street, Granville and had been born in England to John and Mary Robinson. Their father was a career soldier so the eleven children of the marriage were born in various places across England and Ireland as the family followed his military postings. Horace was born in Chatham, Kent while Henry’s birthplace was Aldershot in Hampshire.

After completing schooling at the Gravesend Technical School, Horace emigrated to Australia in about 1913 as a 17-year-old. This may have been precipitated by the death of his mother in 1911. Henry had already emigrated in 1910 and was settling down in Australia having married in 1912 and started a family. Horace lived with his brother and new sister-in-law in Granville and found work as a junior clerk with the Traffic Branch in the New South Wales Tramways Department. His older brother, Henry, was a locomotive fireman with the Railways.

The two brothers enlisted in July 1915 and were assigned to the 30th Battalion, leaving Australia together aboard the HMAT A72 Beltana from Sydney in November.

Arriving in Egypt in December, the Robinson brothers trained in Egypt with the 30th Battalion for six months and in June 1916 they headed for France.

A whole new world of adventure for young soldiers in the build up to Fromelles:

Both Horace and his older brother Henry were at Fromelles in time for the battle, but Henry was ill and in hospital from the 17th to the 23rd July. Horace was reported missing in France on 19 July 1916 but details of his part in the battle are unknown.

It must have been a very difficult time for Henry knowing his brother was wounded and also knowing the huge losses suffered by their battalion. The following extract from a much longer letter home was written by Henry just weeks after Fromelles and published in the local newspaper.

Horace was reported as missing after the Battle of Fromelles on 19-20 July 1916 and it was not until March 1917 that his identification disc was returned by the German authorities. The authorities promptly made an official finding that Horace had been killed in action. The identification disc was returned to his father as next of kin in July 1917 - so little to show for a young life lost.

We know so little of how his family in Australia and England reacted to Horace’s death and can only guess at the pain and sense of loss. We do know that he was commemorated on numerous war memorials in Australia, France and England including:

There is also an indication that Horace may have left a grieving girlfriend – though this is supposition on our part as nothing is known of his friend, Kathleen White.

Relatives of Horace Robinson are still being sought. Specifically needed are living males named Robinson, who share a common ancestor with Horace. Those who share DNA with Horace are vital for his identification.