Name
Robert George East
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
12/10/1918
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
265690
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ROMERIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
V. B. 17.
France
Headstone Inscription
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE REMEMBER THEE
UK & Other Memorials
Harpenden Town Memorial, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Robert George was born, in 1897 in Nottingham the only son to Augustus George East, an Engineer’s Draughtsman and Florence Mary (nee Massey). The family lived at Burns Avenue, Nottingham.
By 1901 they were living at Church Street, Nottingham. On the 1911 Census the family were resident in Wandsworth, London where Augustus was a department manager at a Rubber Works and Robert was still at school. Robert later came to live in Harpenden.
Wartime Service
Robert joined Hertfordshire Regiment as Private 2659. His service number suggests that this may have been Feb to Sep 1914. Later in 1917 the Territorial Force was re-numbered and Robert’s number became 265690.
At some time in his service he was promoted to Corporal. The Herts regiment were involved in the Battle of the Hindenburg Line on the 9/10 Oct 1918 and although Robert’s death is recorded as 12 Oct there were small actions taking place at this time.
Additional Information
His father, Mr. A. G. East, 12, Prices Avenue, Cliftonville, Margate, ordered his headstone inscription: "AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE REMEMBER THEE".
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Mary Skinner, Harpenden & District Local History
Society (www.harpenden-history.org.uk)
