Service Life:

Campaigns:

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

The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.

Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.

Detail :

De Ruvigny's: Volume 1 "ROBATHAN, DOUGLAS PARKER, Capt., 1/5th Battn. The Welsh Regt. (T.F.), 5th s. of the late George Beckett Robathan, of the Gove, Risca, Monmouth, M.R.C.S., Eng., by his wife, Frances Elizabeth (Ovid House, Radyr), dau. of the late John Paull, of Brockley, Somerset; b. Risca, 28 Jan 1888; educ. Llandaff Cathedral School and Cranbrook School, Kent; was a Mining Engineer at "Insoles" Colliery; joined the Monmouth Volunteers as a 2nd Lieut. in Jan. 1908; transferred to the 5th Welsh Territorials, April 1908; passed the School of Instruction and obtained his certificate as a Musketry Instructor, 1909; became Lieut. 7 April 1909, and Capt. 1 July 1914; volunteered for foreign service after the outbreak of war; left England with the 53rd Welsh Division; 18 July, 1915, for the Dardenelles; took part in the landing at Suvla Bay, 9 Aug., and was killed in action the following day. His Col. wrote of him as "devoted to his duty and always to be relied on," and a brother officer said that when wounded "lying on the ground he still cheered his men on - 'Stick it, Welsh.' he shouted, and kept on shouting until another bullet cam along and got him in the lung. He died the best death any man could die, and as game as possible. His lot died wonderfully well and fought like 'good 'uns' an it was a hot shop they were in." A private also wrote: "He led his men into one of the fiercest fights that has ever been fought on Gallipoli Peninsula. He was loved by his men and admired by all. He fought as gallantly as any as long as he was able to lead, and I am expressing the thoughts of all the Battn. when I say it has lost one of the best soldiers."

His death was reported in the Western Mail 23rd August, 1915: "ROBATHAN.-Killed in action, August 10th, in the Dardenelles, Captain Douglas Parker Robathan, 5th Welsh Regiment (Territorials), aged 27, son of the late Dr. G.B. Robathan and Mrs. Robathan, Radyr."

His name appeared again in the Western Mail 17th February, 1916, this time on an "ENGINEERS' ROLL OF HONOUR." "A roll of honour prepared up to January 19 last shows that 92 members of the South Wales Institute of Engineers are serving with his Majesty's Forces. Four members have already been killed in action., viz.: Lieutenant-colonel Lord Ninian Crichton Stuart, officer commanding the 6th (Glamorgan Territorial) Battalion of the Welsh Regiment; Captain Trevor Edward Lewis, 5th Battalion South Wales Borderers; Captain Douglas Parker Robathan, 5th Battalion Welsh Regiment (T.F.); and Captain W. Hutton Williams, 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment."

Probate ROBATHAN Douglas Parker of Ovid House Radyr Glamorganshire a captain in the 5th battalion Welsh Regiment Territorial Force died 10 August 1915 at the Dardanelles Probate Llandaff 13 October to George Lionel Robathan schoolmaster. Effects £188 17s. 1d.

Masonic :

Douglas was listed as a 21 year old Mining Engineer resident at Risca in 1909. at the time of his initiation. Preceding his arrival, there are no less than six others bearing the name Robathan in the lodge, and it was perhaps one of these who proposed his membership. The contribution register within the ledgers shows that he was "Killed in action 10th Aug/15."

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