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Robert Appleby. Died 28 June 1916.
Married and his wife lived at 10 Barkham Road. Sadly the following information is all we know so far about Robert. Service records tell us he was a Lieutenant in the Royal Scots, 1st Battalion attached to the 3rd Battalion, but subsequent information also tells us he died serving in France. As the 3rd Bn did not serve in France, it is possible he served another Battalion without his records updated. We assume he was a regular Army officer as in 1911 a Robert Appleby was a Lance Corporal in this regiment. He died on 28th June 1916 and is buried in Vermelles.
A small article in the Reading Standard on 22 July1916 reprots Robert’s death from wounds he received during the battle of Vermelles. A note to his wife ( reported as then living in Norton road ) from a fellow officer says;” he was a gallant officer , a gentleman and every inch a soldier”
Read more at: http://www.1914-1918.net/rsfus.htm
Comment from Jim which came via email 2nd Nov 2015:
“The forum is the one his great nephew used in 2012 (21st November) it also says his father was a baker and that he was married to Florence in 1915, their daughter, Kathleen, was born in 1916. The bank history is from their Archive site, it also lists some of the workforce who had or may have served in the war, it names one as a ‘works chemist’. Have you spotted the mistake on the plaque? It seems engraving mistakes were quite common and often left, but it also makes me wonder if another corrected one exists”.
Lt Appleby is remembered on our church memorial in St John’s Church, Gosbrook Road, Caversham and my research has led me to this article. He married Florence Edith Tucker on the 5th April 1915 in St Peter’s Parish Church, Caversham. At the time of their marriage they were both living at 91, Kings Road , Caversham with the Tucker family. Their daughter Kathleen F. A. was born January to March 1916 in Wokingham. We took a photo of his grave in Vermelles in May 2015.
Hello Jean. Many thanks for getting in touch. This is such an interesting contribution. Names of the men on Wokingham’s memorial often turn up elsewhere and you have provided another example. Thank you. It would be nice to add your contribution onto his page – gives it a personal touch. I can also include the photo if you wish. My email is mike@wokinghamremembers.com
One of the frustrating sides to the research has also been about the Wokingham men who were brought up in the town, but do not appear on its memorial. They moved away before the war and had no one in the area to remember them.
Thanks again
Mike Churcher