ROBINSON, Ernest Harold
Ernest Harold Robinson was born at Stockport, Cheshire on 31 July 1889, son of Alfred Robinson (1859-30 December 1920), agent for building supplies, and his wife Ada née Cuttill/Cuttle (1861-14 May 1948), who married at Stockport in 1887. In 1911, Ernest was a 21-year-old teacher in an elementary school, living with his parents, 52-year-old Alfred and 49-year-old Ada, at 2 Napier Street, Hyde, Cheshire. During the First World War, Ernest was a machine gun Officer with the 7th Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry and sailed to France/Flanders with them on 27 August 1915 but was wounded in action. As a Captain, he re-joined his regiment in September 1916 and took temporary command from 23 December 1917 until 1 February 1918 with the rank of Major. Again, wounded on 12 April 1918 when the Battalion was holding the Le Hamel Switch between the La Bassée Canal and the Canal de la Lawe. He re-joined his regiment in September 1918 but was again wounded on 1 October 1918 during advance from trenches east of Flesquières. Awarded the Military Cross and a bar on 18 July 1917 and the Distinguished Service Order on 6 April 1918. On his retirement from the army with the rank of Lieut. Col. and after a period at Newark Grammar School, he spent time at East Bergholt, Suffolk. As Lt. Col. E. H. Robinson, a member of Ipswich Art Club 1922-1924 and exhibited from Ashfield, East Bergholt in 1923, three watercolours 'Dedham Lock', 'Reina Christina, Water Tower' and 'A Moorish Backyard'. About 1923 he took a position as a teacher at Moseley Grammar School in Birmingham becoming headmaster of the school. He married at Chorlton, Lancashire in 1917, Ellen Elizabeth Sharples (20 October 1888-1962) and in 1939 they were living at 1 Sylvan Avenue, Altrincham, Cheshire with their soldier son, Harold John (31 October 1918-5 September 1985). Ernest Harold Robinson died at Meadway, Over Norton Road, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire on 7 October 1968 (his will gives his date of death as 10 October 1968). The author of 'Rifle Training for War' (1940).