Lance Corporal. 12th Battalion, Manchester Regiment. Regimental number 44537.
Early life:
Moses’ parents were Moses Robinson and Mary Robinson née Langstroth, who were married at Skipton in 1874, registered there in the first quarter of that year.
Moses Rayner Robinson was born on 29th December 1895 in Nelson, Lancashire and registered at Burnley in the first quarter of 1896. He was baptised at St. Mary’s Church on the 29th of January 1896.
In the 1901 census they had moved to Oakworth and Moses Rayner was aged five. He was living with his parents and siblings at 49, Commercial Street. His father Moses was aged 50 and a plate layer for the Midland Railway, mother Mary was 47 and at home. Their children were Sarah, aged 24 and Annie aged 22 who were both stuff weavers; Emma aged 17 and Craven aged 15 were both spinners; Lily aged eight and Moses aged five were at school whole time. The youngest member of the family was George aged three, who would be at home with his mum.
By the time of the 1911 census the family was now living at 44, Oakworth Hall and had reduced in size a little. Moses was 62 and a still working as a platelayer on the Midland Railway, Mary was at home. They had now been married for 38 years and had fourteen children! Six of these were still alive and eight had died. At the family home were still Daisy aged 22 and at home she was described as deaf since birth and ‘feeble minded’. (Please note: these terms were the ones commonly used at the time and we only use them as that is what it states on the census sheet) Lily was aged 18 and a worsted weaver, Moses Rayner was aged 15 and a tube piler at a worsted mill and George was thirteen and a doffer at a worsted mill. They would almost certainly be employed at the nearby Oakworth Mill.
Note: in the 1901 census, Moses’ sister Daisy was at the Royal Cross School for the Deaf at Preston in Lancashire. She may not have been as described: ‘feeble minded’ but simply struggled with many things due to her deafness.
Perhaps after her time at the Royal Cross School she could at least be a part of family life, at home with her parents and siblings.
War service:
There are no surviving Army service records for Moses Rayner Robinson but we know he enlisted at Burnley with the East Lancashire Regiment under the service number 11024, then after training he was posted overseas some time after the first of January 1916 with the 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment (Regimental number 18438,) before being transferred to the 12th Battalion, Manchester Regiment with Regimental number 44537.
Men could simply be transferred to another regiment, sometimes after a wound and convalescence. Other times groups of men were simply transferred en-masse to make up the numbers in another regiment due to high battle losses.
War diary:
Moses was a Lance Corporal serving as an officer’s servant (a batman) at the battalion headquarters at Feuchy, situated to the South East of Arras, when a direct hit from a large enemy shell struck the headquarters, killing several officers and men. This was detailed in the battalion war diary and the higher level brigade war diary.
We have transcribed the relevant sections:
WO-95/2012/2. War Diary. 12th Battalion, Manchester Regiment.
In the field:
1917. 1st to 4th April:
Battalion Training at SUS ST LEGER
5th April:
Battalion proceeded by march route to BERLENCOURT arriving at 12-0 noon.
6th April:
Battalion rested at BERLENCOURT.
7th April:
Battalion proceeded by march route to BEAUFORT arriving 11-30a.m.
8th April:
Battalion proceeded by march route to SIMENCOURT, as an Advance Guard with 1 section 93rd Field Company Royal Engineers and one Section Machine Gun Company attached to 52th Brigade Group.
9th April:
Battalion left SIMENCOURT at 5pm and proceeded by march route to ARRAS arriving there at 8.0pm and billeted there.
10th April:
In Divisional Reserve at ARRAS.
11th April:
Battalion proceeded into trenches situated from H. 34 a 9.4 to H. 28 d. q.3 into Divisional Support. Map Sheet 51 B.N.W.
12th April:
Divisional Support. Casualties – 9 Other Ranks.
13th April:
In Divisional Support. Battalion was heavily shelled, causing the following casualties: heavily shelled, causing the following Casualties: Lieutenant Colonel P.M. Magnay; C.O. Captain T. Tower, Adjutant; Second Lieutenant W. B. Johnston and Lieut. J. A. Gregory R.A.M.C., attached to the Battalion also 13 Other ranks.
14th April:
Captain A.J. Moorhouse assumed Command of the Battalion and Lieutenant. A. J. C. Sington took up duties of Adjutant. Enemy threw over gas shells intermittently during the day. Battalion moved into Brigade Reserve in trenches situated at H. 28 a 4.4 to H. 28.a.4.9. Ref. Map Sheet 51B. N.W. Battalion employed in constructing trenches on ORANGE HILL. Casualties – 12 Other ranks.
15th April:
Battalion in Brigade Reserve. Two Companies employed on ORANGE HILL defences and provided carrying party for rations to 9th Northumberland Fusiliers at night. Casualties 2 O.R.
16th April:
Battalion in Brigade Reserve. Battalion again provided a party for carrying rations to 9th. Northumberland Fusiliers, also continued work on ORANGE HILL defences. Casualties 16 Other ranks.
WO-95/2010/2/1. War Diary. 52nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters.
FEUCHY.
13th April:
Dispositions of Units unchanged, except 52nd Machine Gun Company withdrawn to FEUCHY. Orders received to relieve 50th Brigade in front line on the night 12th/13th, 51st Brigade to relieve 88th Brigade on the right and South of MONCHY, but subsequently cancelled.
Relief ordered to take place night of 13th/14th. instead.
BROWN Line heavily shelled with gas shells from early morning 13th till 12 noon, 14th instant, respirators worn for six hours. Some casualties but not heavy. Lieutenant Colonel MAGNAY, 12th Manchester Regiment killed, also Adjutant, Intelligence officer, and Doctor severely wounded; direct hit on Battalion Headquarters in BROWN Line.
Lande Corporal Moses Rayner Robinson’s death was reported in our local newspaper:
Keighley News, Saturday 12th May, 1917 page 3:
Lance Corporal Robinson, of the Manchester Regiment, son of Mrs. Robinson, 2, High Spring Road, Keighley, was killed in action last month. In a letter to Mrs. Robinson informing her of his death, the Rev. T. H. Clewarth, chaplain, says: “In case you have had no particulars from his friends, I can say the same shell which killed him, also killed the officer whose servant he was, and also the colonel and adjutant and two others. He was buried behind the trench where he was killed, a service was held, and a cross was put up.”
As stated above, Moses was buried in a battlefield grave by his comrades at the time. His grave was exhumed on 27th November 1920 along with several others and moved into Feuchy Chapel British Cemetery at Wancourt. This rather harrowing work was carried out by number 76 Labour Company and he is buried in grave 16 of row B in plot II at this cemetery which is located by the side of the road about four miles to the South East of the centre of Arras.
Feuchy Chapel British Cemetery is at map reference 51B SW.N.4.d.1.6 on trench maps. The original grave position was at map reference 51B NW.H.34.a.2.2. which is three quarters of a mile away, to the North East and often outlying graves were moved to bring them into larger ‘concentration’ cemeteries, so they could be cared for together and release the fields back into use after the war.
Remembrance:
Apart from his grave in France, he is remembered locally in the Borough of Keighley roll of honour book at Keighley Library and on the Oakworth Great War Centenary roll of honour on display in Oakworth Community Hall.
Post war:
Moses was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and Victory medal. These would have been sent to his father as his next of kin along with a bronze war memorial plaque and memorial scroll inscribed with his name. They would also have received any personal effects and his outstanding pay.
His father received a payment of £5 1s 3d on 24th July 1917, which would have been his son’s remaining pay.
He also received a war gratuity payment of £15 10s 0d which was calculated by rank and length of Army service. The calculation gives us an approximate enlistment date right at the beginning of the war, in August 1914.
His mother Mary applied for a dependant’s pension and this is marked as ‘Refusal’ but an amount of 5 shillings per week is recorded, payable from the 6th of November 1918. This would be payable for life. At that time she was living at 36, Catherine Street in Keighley. There is also an address of 2, High Spring Road in Keighley.
In the 1921 census Moses and Mary Robinson were living at 5, Chandos Street in Keighley. Moses was aged 73 and a park ranger for Keighley Corporation. Mary was 67 and at home with their daughter Daisy aged 32 who probably needed full time support. Also living here was their daughter Lily Crane who was aged 28 and working for Robert Clough at Grove Mills on worsted coatings and her husband Bernard Crane aged 26, who was a moulder, employed by Hattersley and Sons Ltd at their North Brook Mills.
Moses died at the age of 83, registered at Keighley in the first quarter of 1931.
Mary died aged 78, registered at Keighley in the first quarter of 1932.
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
Lancashire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1911.
1901 England Census.
1911 England Census.
The National Archives.
WO-95/2012/2. War Diary. 12th Battalion, Manchester Regiment.
WO-95/2010/2/1. War Diary. 52nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters.
The Long, Long Trail website by Chris Baker.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
Keighley Roll of Honour book at Keighley Library.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
1921 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
