Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Martinsart British Cemetery | I. A. 8. | |
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 23B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Robert Carson was born on 6 April 1879 in Craigavad and he was a son of William Carson JP and Isabella Jane Carson (nee Major) who were married on 15 January 1874 in First Holywood Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church.William Carson from Holywood was a son of William Carson, a merchant. Isabella Jane Major from Holywood was a daughter of Thomas Major, a merchant.
The Carson family lived in Belfast; in Craigavad and in Carnalea House, Carnalea, Bangor.
William Carson was a solicitor in the firm of Carson & McDowell and he and Isabella had six children:
Isabella (born 7 November 1874 at 12 Wilmont Terrace, Belfast)
Margaret Malcolm (Meta, born 21 December 1875 in St Kilda, Craigavad)
William Harold (born 1 June 1877 in Craigavad; died 27 December 1957)
Robert (born 6 April 1879 in Craigavad)
John (born 14 July 1881 at 2 Princes Gardens, Belfast)
Allen Hunter (born 20 July 1888 in Kensington Villas, Bangor)
Their father, William Carson JP, died of cardiac failure at Carnalea on 18 April 1900 (aged 72) and their mother, Isabella Carson, died on 21 March 1928 (aged 77).
Education & Career :
Robert Carson was educated at Campbell College Belfast and Trinity College Dublin. He played rugby and was a member of both the Royal Ulster Yacht Club in Holywood and the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club in Bangor.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 139th Heavy BatteryRoyal Garrison Artillery |
| Action : The Battles of the Somme 1916 |
The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.
Detail :
Major Robert Carson was 37 when he died of wounds on 24 August 1916 at Martinsart having been wounded when he left his dugout during an enemy bombardment.
Major Robert Carson was buried in Martinsart British Cemetery, France and there is an inscription on his CWGC headstone:
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS
ST. JOHN XV, VERSE XIII
Major Robert Carson is commemorated on Bangor and District War Memorial; on the Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque; in the Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum; in Campbell College Belfast; on the family grave headstone in Bangor Cemetery, Newtownards Road, Bangor; in the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club, Holywood and in the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, Bangor.
Citations & Commemorations :
During the Great War he was Mentioned in Despatches by Field Marshal Viscount French for gallantry and distinguished conduct in the field.Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Beauchamp No. 1422 E.C. | West Kent |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
19th June 1906 | 6th November 1906 | 4th December 1906 |
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