Private Henry James Robinson was a 30 year old Locomotive Fireman from Cowper Street, Granville. He was married to Mrs Catherine Mary Robinson and was the father of Kathleen Mary Robinson and John Henry Robinson. He enlisted on 13 July 1915 and was assigned to the 30 Infantry Battalion. He embarked with his unit from Sydney aboard the HMAT “Beltana” A72 on 9 November 1915. He embarked from Alexandria aboard the HMAT “Hororata” on 16 June 1916 to join his battalion, and disembarked at Marseilles on 23 June 1916. He was admitted to hospital with boils on 17 July 1916. He was admitted to a field hospital with dental problems and sore hands on 25 July 1916. He was discharged on 28 July 1916 and re-joined his unit. He returned to hospital with influenza on 29 September 1916. He was discharged and re-joined his unit on 10 October 1916. He returned to hospital sick with axillary lymphadenitis on 17 November 1916. He was sent to England aboard the H.S. Formosa on 25 November 1916, to be treated at Bethnal Green Military Hospital. He was transferred from Bethnal Green Military Hospital to 3 Auxiliary Hospital, England, on 13 December 1916. He was discharged from hospital and given furlough between 18 December 1916 and 2 January 1917. On 19 March 1917 he marched out to Wareham, where he was transferred to the 61 Battalion from the 30 Battalion on 23 March 1917. He transferred to the 30 Battalion on 19 September 1917 in Fovant. On 14 October 1917 he proceeded overseas to France via Southampton. He marched out to his unit on 18 October 1917 and was taken on strength on 26 October 1917. On 1 December 1917 he was killed in action in Belgium. He was buried in Bethleem Farm West Military Cemetery, Flanders, Belgium. His name is displayed in the Commemorative Area of the Australian War Memorial
Kimberly Russell – Volunteer Research Assistant, City of Parramatta, Parramatta Heritage Centre, 2017
References
The biographical information has been researched and compiled from the following resources:
- Australian War Memorial – https://www.awm.gov.au/
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission – http://www.cwgc.org/
- National Archives of Australia – http://www.naa.gov.au/
- National Library of Australia Trove Digitised Newspapers Database – http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper
- Parramatta and District soldiers who fought in the great war, 1914-1919. (1920). Parramatta, N.S.W. : The Cumberland Argus Ltd. – https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9iAn5sxT0i8ZHgyZjR2UHRxVUU/edit
- The National Archives (UK) – http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
- University of New South Wales Canberra The AIF Project – https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/index.html