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Wardle Robinson (1899-1963)


Miner from South Moor whose name appeared on memorial even though he survived the War


Evidence of absence:

While in South Moor for the opening of the South Moor Heritage Trail (http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/project/south-moor-heritage-trail/?id=622) archivists from Durham County Record Office noticed that names had been excised from the South Moor Memorial Gate tablets. This, of course, piqued their curiosity. When back in the office their first recourse was to the North East War Memorial Project website:

http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/project/south-moor-heritage-trail/?id=622

The transcript of the names on the Memorial has gaps where the names have been excised but no further explanation of who the men were or why their names were removed from the tablets.

It was time to go local. Ian Finlayson, who has worked with the South Moor Heritage Group, has been collecting local history for many years and was the obvious person to consult. Luckily Ian had a photograph of one of the panels before the names had been removed. We could then start searching for Wardle Robinson.

A search on the British Newspaper Archive turned up articles in the Aberdeen Press and Journal, the Falkirk Herald, the Lancashire Evening Post and the Nottingham Evening Post, all dating from December 1929. With this date in mind we then searched the local newspaper, the Stanley News, which is held at Durham County Record Office on microfilm. A transcript of the Stanley News article can be found by scrolling down to “Supporting Material”.

It seems that Wardle walked past the South Moor memorial for years before his name was pointed out to him on it. He had served with the Northumberland Fusiliers towards the end of the war but had made it back alive, unlike his brother, Charlton, whose name appears on the memorial. It wasn’t until five years later that Wardle’s name and those of Matthew Dargue and Thomas Parkin were removed from the memorial.

Civil Parish: South Moor

Birth date: 11-Jan-1899

Death date: 1963

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 9 Colliery View, New Brancepeth (1911 census)
40 Fourth Street, Quaking Houses, South Moor (1929 article as place of residence during war)
75 Wear Road, Stanley (1929 article)
54 Franklin Road , Birmingham (1939 Register)

Employment: Fitter, William Pit, South Moor (1929 Stanley News article)
Metal Furnace labourer (1939 register)

Family: Parents: John Robinson, Hannah Robinson
Siblings: Stephen Robinson, Charlton Robinson, Joseph Robinson, Angus Robinson (1911 census)
Wife: Rhoda Hutton (married 1919)

Military service:

12th/13th Northumberland Fusiliers

Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal

Gender: Male

Contributed by Durham County Record Office | Ian Finlayson