Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Sergeant J. Robinson, East Surrey Regiment, who was killed in the attack on Ale Alley and Beer Trench near Ginchy on 3 September 1916

British War and Victory Medals (192 Sjt. J. Robinson. E. Surr. R.), with flattened named card box of issue and transmission slip, in damaged outer envelope addressed to, ‘Mrs. J. Robinson, 55 White Hart Line, Barnes, SW’; Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19 (192. Sjt. J. Robinson. E. Surr. R.); with flattened named card box of issue and transmission slip in damaged outer envelope similarly addressed; Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, G.V.R. (192 Sjt. J. Robinson. 5/E. Surr: Regt.); Memorial Plaque (Jacob Robinson) with Buckingham Palace enclosure, nearly extremely fine (5) £600-£800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The David Laban Collection of Territorial Force War Medal Groups.

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Jacob Robinson was born in 1879 at Putney, Surrey and resided at Tottenham, Middlesex prior to attesting for the East Surrey Regiment at Wimbledon, Surrey. He served during the Great War ranked Sergeant in the 5th Battalion (Territorial Force) in India for one year and seven months, after which he was posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion in France where he was killed on 3 September 1916, only a month after his arrival, during the attack on Ale Alley and Beer Trench near Ginchy:

‘On 3 September, 7th Division, on the right of 24th Division was to attack Ginchy, half a mile south-east of 9/East Surrey. Germans in Ale Alley and Hop Alley could enfilade units advancing on Ginchy. The battalion was ordered to assist by attacking, at noon, Ale Alley from the north-west, whilst a bombing party from the brigade on the right would attack from the south. The battalion was also to capture Beer Trench, which was then lightly held. However, the neighbouring brigade declared a change of plan, so that their bombers would attack Hop Alley instead. Captain Ingrams and Second Lieutenant Tetley led around forty men attacking Ale alley at noon, with a second attack 40 minutes later. Unfortunately, the attack by the brigade on the right did not progress and the Surrey men failed to break into the two Alleys. Captain Ingrams was killed and Lieutenant-Colonel de la Fontaine was very severely wounded leading an attack. An officer and three men crawled forward to a shell hole and sniped at Germans, who they reported to be holding Ale and hop Alleys in strength. Part of Beer Trench was, however, seized and thirty Germans advancing towards it were badly hit by Lewis gun fire. The war diary complained of the support given to the battalion’s attack. ‘Our own artillery did not assist us very much. Our heavy guns were throwing shells into our trench instead of Ale Alley. Our stokes guns failed to fire anywhere near the enemy trench and the T.M. firing smoke bombs stopped firing much too soon.’ (The Journey’s End Battalion: The 9th East Surrey in the Great War by Michael Lucas refers).

Sergeant Robinson’s T.F.E.M. was issued posthumously under Army Order 143 of 1920. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.