No.3/6523, Private, Robert MANN
Aged 24
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Robert Mann was born in 1890 in West Row Fen (Mildenhall Q2-1890 4A:714), son of William and Mary Elizabeth MANN (née BIDWELL).
1891 census...Aged 11 months, he was at Cook's Drove, West Row Fen with his father William [35] farm labourer, born Burnt Fen; his mother Mary C [36] born Littleport; sisters Emily [11] born Mildenhall, Annie L [5] born Redmere and Emma E [4] born Mildenhall and brother William [8] born Redmere. There were three other elder siblings, Henry E [1874] Harriet 1875 and Sarah K [1878], all born in Mildenhall 1901 census...Aged 10, he was in Hazelwood Road, Walthamstow, London with his parents (father now a reservoir navvy); brother Henry (navvy); sisters Emma, and Mable E [6] born Mildenhall, and uncle David MANN [27] a navvy, born Mildenhall. 1911 census...Aged 20, single, he was at Mile End, Prickwillow, boarding with James and Matilda GATHERCOLE. At Kenny Hill were his parents, sister Mabel and cousin Henry MANN [4] born Islington. The Army have his mother as Elizabeth in "Soldiers Effects register in 1919. His father had died in 1914.. |
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Enlisted in Cambridge. His Army service records have not been found, his number is out of sequence so no help but from the fact that he was in France that early he must have been in the Army before the war The 1st Bedford were in Ireland when the war started but they embarked in Belfast on the SS ORONSA and arrived in Le Havre on the night of the 15th August. Fighting through the battle of Mons, the retreat to Paris and the battle of Le Cateau, they were seemingly in every battle. On the 9th November they were in the Ypres salient, part of the 1st Battle of Ypres. CWGC have 26 of the battalion killed on the 9th, only three have identified graves. This was of course before the advent of CWGC, and recording was basic.   photo: Rodney Gibson click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
