Robert Emson

Robert enlisted in Retford on 1st Septmber 1914 aged 21. On 5th September he was posted to Grantham for training and on 1st June 1915 was transferred to the West Riding Regiment. On 29th August 1915 he left England and joined the British Expeditionary Force where he served with the 10th battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment ) He was killed in action on 7/8th October 1916. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Theipval Memorial. The following obituary appeared in the Retford Times 2nd November 1916 HAYTON'S FIRST VICTIM Private R Emson R.A.M.C. The war has claimed its first victim from among the young men of the parish of Hayton, in the person of Robert Emson,son of mr Wm Emson, the village blacksmith. The sad news was conveyed to Mr Emson on Saturday morning last in a communication from the War Office, in which it stated that his son was killed in action on the 10th October. The melancholy event cast quite a gloom over the whole village and parish for Bob Emson, as he was affectionately called by his friends, was deservedly popular. He was attached to the R.A.M.C. and he must have met his death , therefore, while engaged in his noble work of searching for the dead and wounded on the stricken field of battle. A memorial service was held on Sunday afternoon. Pte R Emson Retford Times 17 Nov 1916 At Hayton church on Sunday afternoon the Rev R Jones read the following letter which he has received from Leiut R Bolton, regarding the circumstances under which Pte R Emson, West Riding Regt, met his death. “It was when the company moved up to the attack on Le Sars on October 8th that Pte Emson was killed. A shell fell in the trench wounding him and several others and then he managed to walk down to Martinpucih to the dressing station. Whilst he was waiting to be sent down to the hospital another shell burst close to him killing him, I believe instantly. That is all the news we have been able to gather about him. You will understand how difficult it is in action to follow the movements of each individual. I think you may presume as certain that he is buried I Martinpuich. He had been with us ever since we came to France over a year ago. Being very popular, cheery and a keen soldier, we all miss him very much. In action, he seemed to be without fear, ready for any work at any time. Would you be so good as to tell his people how deeply we all, officers and men, sympathise with them in their great sorrow.

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