GIRBOW, Robert George


No.7774, Private, Robert George GIRBOW
Aged 24


2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Wednesday, 16th December 1914


Born 1890 (2nd qtr Bury St.Edmunds 4a:706) son of John and GIRBOW (née BONE)

1890 census...Aged 1, he was at 6 Aberdeen Place, Bury St Edmunds with his father John FIRBOW [34] bricklayer's labourer born in Beverley, Yorks; his mother Mary J [24]; brothers John T J [6] and Ernest [4]. Except his father, all were born in Bury St.Edmunds.

There had been another sibling, William Henry, born 1889 and died 1890. His mother actually bore 12 children but 6 had died by 1911

1901 census...Aged 10, George was still at 6 Aberdeen Place with his mother Jane; brothers Ernest (stablelad) and James [5]. His father was a telegraph clerk at Fort Albert, St.Anne's, Alderney.

1911 census...Aged 21, he was a private in the 2nd Battalion, Suffok Regiment at Barrosa Barracks, Stanhope Lines, Aldershot. His parents were still at 6 Aberdeen Place wth his brother James (errand boy); sisters Annie Matilda [18] factory hand and Ellen Elizabeth [7]


He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds.
The 2nd Suffolks were near Wijtschate, Belgium on 15th December 1914. The war diary has:-
About 3pm some 80 Germans appeared about 50 yards in front of"A" Coy, dressed in khaki, digging. They were thought to be R.E, but when recognised as enemy fire was opened. They then signalled "surrender" but on our men going out in two small parties on each flank to take them over, they were fired on. At this we opened rapid fire on the exposed Germans. (Pte Francis No.7992 who volunteered to take a message across our meadow from PETOT BOIS to the M.G.Officer ran the gauntlet for 80 yards when he was shot dead).
6pm Relieved by the Wiltshire Regt - Royal irish Rifles took over the trench captured by the Royal Scots. During the relief the Germans opended fire and we sustained the following casualtie - Ptes 9319 Anderson W, 9475 Dann G, 8863 West B and 8270 Watson T and three wounded. We then marched to LOCRE to billets.

The war diary at the time tended to name casualties, even OR if few, but only those four are mentioned. On the 16th although in billets, CWGC have those four and four others( including Robert Girbow) as dying on 16th. The Captain mentioned in the newspaper report was killed in 14th, so it would appear that 15th is the correct date for Robert's death.






Robert Girbow is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres panel 21

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


BACK