Name
Robert Darby
29 May 1882
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/11/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
265585
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HOOGE CRATER CEMETERY
IX. F. 17.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
St Albans Citizens Memorial, Town Hall (old) Memorial, St Albans, Fleetville Memorial (Hatfield Rd Cemetery), St Albans, List of names (probable) on the Abbey Parish street memorials, St Albans Cathedral, Verulam Road, Street Memorial, St Albans, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Robert Darby was born on 29 May 1882 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, the son of John and Sarah Ann Darby (nee Kingsley) and one of three children. His mother died in 1886 and his father re-married in 1889 to Sarah Maria Roome. They later had seven children, half siblings to Robert.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Fishpool Street, St Albans where his father was working as a jewellery dealer. They remained in Fishpool Street in 1901 and were living at The Crown where his father was the licenced victualler and jeweller and Robert was working as a general labourer.
On 29 August 1904 he married Ada Louisa Rawlings at All Saints Church, Northampton, and on the 1911 Census they were living at 12 Castle Road, Fleetville, St Albans, at which time Robert was a gas fitter in the gas works. By then they had two sons, Dennis and Harold, aged 4 and 1. Sadly Harold died later the same year but another son, Robert was born in 1916.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Hertford and joined the Hertfordshire Regiment, initially under reg. no. 2659, (later renumbered to 265585) and serving with the 1st Battalion in the France from 6 November 1914 when they arrived at Le Havre on the "City of Chester", having sailed at midnight. The Regiment served as part of the 118th Brigade, 39th Division.
Robert was killed in action in Belgium on 14 November 1917 and is buried in Hooge Crater Cemetery, Belgium.
Additional Information
His widow Ada received a war gratuity of £14 10s and pay owing of £7 15s 2d. She also received a pension of £1 5s 5d a week for herself and two sons Dennis and Robert.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Gareth Hughes, Jonty Wild
