Family :

Education & Career :

Eton, Sandhurst
Professional Soldier

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

Actions in Spring 1916 covers a number of non specific actions on the Western Front in the period February to the end of June 1916. Much of this period concerned the build up to the Battle of the Somme, particularly the acclimatisation of the Service Battalions (Kitchener Volunteers) to trench routine. As the Battle of the Somme occupied the plans for 1916 no significant efforts were made in other sectors. Many of the casualties could be considered 'routine'. During the period December to June 1916 5845 British soldiers died in 'minor trench operations'.

Detail :

Sir Robert Marcus FILMER was born on the 25th February, 1878. He therefore succeeded as tenth baronet at the age of eight. He was educated at Eton and then went to the Military Academy at Sandhurst. He was a J.P., F.R.G.S., and Major in the Royal East Kent Yeomanry. Later a Lieutenant in the Reserve of Officers Grenadier Guards 1898 - 1904. He went on the Nile Expedition in 1898 and was present at the battle of Omdurman. In the South African War of 1899 - 1902 he was awarded the Queen's Medal with five clasps and Kings Medal with two clasps. In the Great War, he was mentioned in Dispatches. He was awarded the Military Cross for an act of conspicuous bravery on 11th December, 1915, whilst fighting near Neuve Chapelle. On 27th January, 1916 he died of wounds in the front line trenches. Apparently he returned to retrieve his pinc-nez spectacles which he had left behind after a spell of duty and was then mortally wounded. The National Archives hold a letter from the Sister in Charge 1/2 London Casualty Clearing Station with reference to Sir. R. Filmer, a most difficult patient, who was very, very ill, and who she said the day and night nurse managed well. He eventually died poor man. With his death the Baronetcy became extinct. In the East window of East Sutton church is a memorial to the men of the parish who fell in the Great War. Sir Robert Marcus Filmer, M.C. is depicted in Guards uniform. Somewhat surprisingly, he took part in a debate on the 23rd March, 1908 with Mr. E.J. Ray, representing the Social Democratic Federation at Tonbridge Wells on 'Socialism' which aroused much interest (Lon. Univ. Lib., Goldsmith Ref. Lib. A910(P. C.)). Sources; THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES, WO95/3989

Masonic :

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley