No.329259, Trooper, William Douglas ROBINS
Aged 24
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William Douglas Robins was born in 1919 (Bury St Edmunds Q4-1919 4A:1858), son of William George and Elsie May ROBINS (née DEAN) of Culford.
For the 1939 register, at Culford, were his father [30-5-1893] a gardener (14 Group M2 Post Observer) and his mother 29-11-1897]. There are 2 closed records.
A squadron each drawn from the 1st Life Guards, 2nd Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards in 1939 made up the Household Cavalry Composite Regiment and Household Cavalry Training Regiment. The training regiment became the 2nd Household Cavalry Regiment which was deployed in Europe as part of VIII Corps. They operated lightly armed Daimler Scout and Armoured cars in a reconnaissance role. On 31st July 1944 just two of their cars got six miles behind the enemy lines and took the bridge over the river Souleuvre enabling the entire division to cross. Again on 31st August three troops took three bridges over the Somme, well ahead of the rest of the Army. The 2HCR were the first British troops to enter Belgium on 3rd September and by 17:30 had entered Brussels. The actual engagement that cost William his life has not yet been found, but he was apparently the only death that day in his unit.
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