Robert Moon Brand

A Private with 8th Battalion, Robert died on 1st of July 1916 at the age of 25. 

Robert was born at Runham Vauxhall, Great Yarmouth, on 16 October 1890, a son of William George and Mary Elizabeth Brand. Note that on his service papers and in Soldiers Died in the Great War his place of birth is given as Neepsend, Sheffield. Robert was baptised at Great Yarmouth on 21 December 1890. In 1901 his family lived at 9 Saloon Street, Runham Vauxhall, and this was still their him in 1911 when Robert worked as a beer bottler. 

On 5 October 1911 Robert married Edith May Mallows at Great Yarmouth. By 1914 they were living at 44 Forder Street, Sheffield. In 1916 Edith lived at The Hills, Bradwell, Derbyshire. In 1917 she married Fritz Harry Taylor and at some point she lived at Ardwick, Manchester, and at South Lopham, near Thetford, before living at Sprat’s Water Gate House, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft.

Robert was a labourer living at 44 Forder Street, Sheffield, when he enlisted in the York and Lancaster Regiment at Sheffield on 3 September 1914. He has service number 12505. He was posted to the 8th Battalion on 12 September 1914. Robert arrived in France with the Battalion on 27 August 1915. 

On 1 July 1916 the 8th Battalion made an assault on the German lines near Ovillers, Somme. Early in the assault many men were killed, or wounded, by heavy machine-gun fire, but the assault continued and the Battalion was able to take, and hold, the German front line trenches and around 70 men managed to reach as far as the German third line trenches. Of 700 men that went into the attack over 600 became casualties. Robert was among those killed in action that day.