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Joseph Grundy Robinson (1896-1920)


West Pelton man served with RAMC


Joseph Grundy Robinson was born in July 1896 at Twizell Colliery, the son of Johnson Robinson, a colliery engineman and his wife Jane Robinson, nee Grundy.

The 1901 England Census shows four-year-old Joseph, living with his parents, 12 year old brother, John Thomas and three sisters; 10-year-old Elizabeth, six-year-old Mary Ann and two-year-old Eleanor at 45 Twizell Colliery. Another sibling, Johnson Robinson, was born in 1905.
Joseph’s father died at the age of 45 on 28 April 1910. The 1911 England census shows Jane and her family living at 4 Twizell Road. 15-year-old Joseph, had found work at the colliery as a joiner while 22-year-old John, worked for a butcher as a journeyman and 20-year-old Elizabeth, was a shop assistant in a drapery establishment.

In 1914, when he was 19 years old, Joseph was working as a mechanic at the colliery. Two months after the start of the First World War, he enlisted for four year’s service with the Territorial Force as a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps, No.1428, attached to 1st Northern General Hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He took an oath of allegiance at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 28 September 1914 (copy of Attestation held as part of British Army WWI Service Records 1914-18).

At the time, the 1st Northern General Hospital occupied Armstrong College buildings, now Newcastle University and Hatton Art Gallery, which had been requisitioned by the government for use as a military hospital. As time went on, more facilities were needed and the military hospital worked closely with the Royal Victoria Infirmary, The General Hospital and other smaller units (Heaton History Group).

Private Robinson served with the RAMC in the UK for 11 months, before joining HMHS [His Majesty’s Hospital Ship] Panama, at Southampton, on 2 September 1915 (Military History Sheet). HMHS Panama had been chartered by the Admiralty from the Pacific Steam Navigation Company in July 1915 for use by the British Expeditionary Force, in the Mediterranean, as a military hospital ship. From September 1915 to January 1917 HMHS Panama was deployed in the Mediterranean embarking, treating and transporting wounded soldiers and prisoners of war. In October 1915 she embarked troops wounded at Gallipoli from the Dardenelles, returning to Southampton via Malta. She continued to sail to and from the Mediterranean bringing wounded soldiers home from several ports such as Naples, Malta, Stavros, Salonica. Between February 1917 and November 1918 HMHS Panama was redeployed to pick up patients from casualty clearing stations in France, via the port of Le Havre. In the last week of February 1917 alone this amounted to three return trips and the embarkation of over 1,200 patients.

After the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, HMHS Panama continued to cross the English Channel returning sick and wounded troops and repatriating German prisoners of war via Rotterdam. Despite the end of hostilities this work continued to be dangerous due to the large number of floating mines in the Channel (Royal Fleet Auxillary Historical Society. HMHS Panama/Maine(3)).

Throughout this time, Joseph G. Robinson continued to serve with the RAMC as a private then lance corporal. He left the ship for the last time on 27 February 1919, when she berthed in Southampton. After a short period of leave Joseph was disembodied from the RAMC on 5 April 1919. He was considered “No longer physically fit for war service” (Kings Regulations para 392 XVIa) due to pulmonary tuberculosis. He was 23 years and 7 months old and had served with the RAMC for four years and six months. He was eventually awarded a pension of 40 shilings per week but died a year later in April 1920. He is buried in the churchyard at Saint Paul’s church, West Pelton (Commonwealth War Graves).

On 19 November 1921 Earl of Durham unveiled a memorial to the men of West Pelton who had lost their lives in the Great War. It records the names of 176 men including L/Cpl Johnson Grundy Robinson. (Northern Echo /North East War Memorials Project)

After Joseph disembarked HMHS Panama in February 1919 for the last time, the hospital ship continued her work in the Mediterranean, sailing between Alexandria, Constantinople [Istanbul] and Beirut treating as well as repatriating British and foreign soldiers who were sick or injured, for a further 20 months. Her enlisted personnel were finally disbanded in October 1920. She was in action again during the Second World War and by the end of that war was the oldest hospital ship in service (RFA).

Civil Parish: Pelton

Birth date: 1896

Death date: 15-Apr-1920

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 45 Twizell Colliery, West Pelton, Co.Durham (1901 England Census)
4 Twizell Road (?Lane), West Pelton (1911 England Census)

Organisation membership: Church Lads Brigade (attestation)

Employment: Joiner at Twizell Colliery (1911 England Census)
Mechanic – James Joicey & Co (Territorial force Attestation 28 September 1914)

Family: Father: Johnson Robinson (1865-1910), married 1888, colliery engineman
Mother: Jane Robinson nee Grundy (1868 -1934)
Brothers: John Thomas Robinson b.1889, Johnson Robinson b.1905
Sisters: Elizabeth Robinson b.1891, Mary Ann Robinson b.1895, Eleanor Robinson b.1899

Military service:

Territorial Force
Enlisted RAMC Private, 393035 attached to 1st Northern General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne 28-09-1914.

Served at home then on board HMHS Panama
2 September 1915 to 27 February 1919.
Promoted to Lance Corporal.
Served
UK -Mediterranean
UK-Le Havre, France
UK-Rotterdam

Disembodied/discharged 05-04-1919
Unfit: pulmonary tuberculosis

Medal(s): 1914-15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Silver War Badge

Memorial(s): Memorial plaque to WWI fallen, St Paul’s Church, West Pelton
Unveiling reported: Northern Echo Monday 21 November 1921 (North East War Memorial Project)

Gender: Male

Contributed by Tricia Bailey and Brenda Peppin

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