Name
Rob Cork
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
490910
London Regiment
2/13th (County of London) Princess Louise’s Kensington Battalion
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Biography
Rob (or Robert) Cork appeared alongside Isaac Noy and John Mann in a photograph in the Watford Illustrated newspaper (21st August 1915), one of three soldiers from Abbots Road, Abbots Langley.
Robert’s connection to Abbots Langley was uncertain, until a report was found in the Watford Observer published on 11th July 1914.
“Robert Cork, Hight Street, Abbots Langley, was summoned in respect of an unlicensed dog.
Police-constable Downing gave evidence. A Police-constable of X Division proved a conviction against defendant for a similar offence, at Wealdstone, in May last year.
The Defendant said that he had looked after this dog for a friend who was dying. He had only had it a fortnight when he took out a licence. He was fined 25 shillings and costs.”
It is not known when Robert Cork came to Abbots Langley, or details of his family or where he was born. However his Medal Roll indicated that he served with the 2/13th Kensington’s in the Greek, Macedonia, Serbia and Bulgaria Theatre of War from 8th March to 1st July 1917, and was based around Doiran on the Salonika Front. He then served in German South-west Africa from 5th July 1917 to 30th January 1919, at which point he was demobilised.
However the War record of the 2/13th Kensington’s indicates that the battalion moved from Salonika to Palestine where they were in action in the British advance throughout 1917-18. This is more likely as it anticipated that it would have taken more than four days to travel from Salonika to German West Africa.
Robert Cork was not listed in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists of Great War casualties, or the Soldiers Died in the Great War records, so it is presumed that he survived the War.
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
