Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Grave: | Brandhoek New Military Cemetery | V. B. 16. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.126 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 27D GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | Distinguished Conduct Medal | ||
Family :
With thanks to Barrie Friend and to the Military Police museum at Southwick House for additional material on this soldier.Robert was born, 1885, son of Robert and Margaret Horsfall, of Orton, Tebay, Westmorland; husband of Edith. S. Horsfall, of 11, West View, Hensingham, Whitehaven, Cumberland.
In the 1911 Census, he is shown as a Police Constable, boarding at 70 Main Street, Hensingham with 51 year old Elizabeth Dobiem a Confectioner, and her 26 year old daughter Edith May Dobie (a confectioner's assistant). Robert would marry Edith two years later in April 1913 at Hensingham, near Whitehaven.
Education & Career :
Police Constable P/916, Hensingham (1911)
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: Military Mounted Police |
| Action : The Battles of Ypres 1917 (Third Ypres, or Passchendaele) |
31 July - 10 November 1917. By the summer of 1917 the British Army was able for the first time to fight on its chosen ground on its terms. Having secured the southern ridges of Ypres at Messines in June, the main attack started on 31st July 1917 accompanied by what seemed like incessant heavy rain, which coupled with the artillery barrages conspired to turn much of the battlefield into a bog. Initial failure prompted changes in the high command and a strategy evolved to take the ring of ridges running across the Ypres salient in a series of 'bite and hold' operations, finally culminating in the capture of the most easterly ridge on which sat the infamous village of Passchendaele. The Official History carries the footnote ?The clerk power to investigate the exact losses was not available? but estimates of British casualties range from the official figure of 244,000 to almost 400,000. Within five months the Germans pushed the British back to the starting line, which was where they had been since May 1915.
Detail :
Records show Acting Lance Corporal Robert Horsfall, Military Mounted Police was killed in action, 12th August, 1917. He was one of eighteen members of the Constabulary who have so far been identified as having served in the Military Police Corps – thirteen in the Military Mounted Police and and five in the MFP (not all masons).
The Police Review of 19.10.1917 p 332 records the following: “Roll of Honour. Cpl Horsfall, DCM, whose portrait appears on this page, was a member of the Cumberland and Westmorland Police Force (Bowness) when war broke out. KIA 12.8.1917 He gallantly fell in the fifth battle of Ypres [sic] on August 12th last. Cpl Horsfall joined the Military Police in January, 1915 and from that date until his death he showed such devotion to duty, resourcefulness in tight corners, and consideration for his comrades that it earned him not only the DCM but also the high regard of both officers and men of the 16th Irish Division. It will be a long time before the memory of such a true soldier passes from the minds of his comrades, who have requested us to publish his portrait in public testimony of their love and respect for yet another Civil Policeman whose name is now emblazoned on the Police Roll of Honour.”
The record does not reveal what Horsfall was doing at the time of his death. "Military Police (particularly MMP) detachments were usually attached to HQs, and as they were few in number – usually 25 men, they did not have the equivalents of War Diaries."
The entry in the Masonic Roll of Honour book and Military Police record both describe Robert with a Distinguished Conduct, but the inscription on his gravestone shows no award. There is also no mention in the London Gazette. It is most probably that the errors made in the Police records above, regarding the rank of Corporal and DCM note were picked up by researchers whilst compiling the masonic record.
His widow, Edith, received a War Gratuity initially £6 15 9 and then another in 1919 of £11 10 -.
He is named on the Cumberland and Westmorland Constabulary Memorial at Penrith. He is also remembered on Find-a-Grave, where his image is also posted.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Arlecdon No. 1660 E.C. | Cumberland & Westmoreland |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
2nd August 1911 | 6th September 1911 | 4th October 1911 |
The masonic record shows that Robert was initiated, aged 25, into Arlecdon Lodge No. 1660 at Frizington 2nd August 1911. He was passed on September 6th and raised October 4th of the same year. He was resident at Hensingham and his occupation listed as Police Constable. He received a Grand Lodge Certificate on 9th May 1913. Three years of war service are recorded from 1915 to 1917, where his entry is annotated as "Killed in Action Aug/17."
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