Robert Leigh Redfern (1892 - 1915)

Born 1892 in Manchester, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 4 Jun 1915 at about age 23 in Gallipoli, Gelibolu, Çanakkale, Turkey

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Private Robert Redfern was Killed in Action at Gallipoli during World War I.

Biography

Birth

Robert Leigh Redfern was born in 1892 Manchester, Lancashire.^[1]

First World War

Robert joined the 1st/6th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment near the beginning of the war as a private. His service number was 2461. He was killed on 4th June 1915 in Gallipoli at the age of 23. He is commemorated on the Cape Helles Memorial, stone 167, on the Gallipoli pensinsula in Turkey.^[2]

On the register of solder's effects it states that his death was "officially accepted as 4th June 1915" as he was initially officially listed as missing.^[3]

He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.^[4]

The records for the Star Medal also show that he disembarked on 5th May 1915 at Gallipoli. ^[5]

Robert is remembered on the Wesleyan Church Memorial in Bramhall, Cheshire ^[6] and on the Memorial at St Michael and All Angels Parish, Bramhall.^[7]

Census

1901 Residence: 2 Melbourne Villas, Middleton Road, Crumpsall,Manchester, Lancashire.^[8]

1911 The Gables, Bramhall, Cheshire.^[9]

Notes

The notice of Robert's death appeared in the Manchester Evening News on 16th October 1915, page 3.^[10] It reads:
Bramhall Soldier's Fate
Private information received by his parents leaves no ground for further hope of the safety of Private Robert Leigh Redfern, of the 6th Manchesters, who was reported missing on July 24. It is clear that he fell in action in Gallipoli on June 24.
Private Redfern was the son of Mr and Mrs J.E. Redfern of the Gables, Bramhall, and was engaged in business with his father in Market Street, Manchester. He was secretary of the Bramhall Football Club and also of the Bramhall Wesley Guild, and was also an active member of the Bramhall Cricket Club.

The below information was taken from the stockport 1914-1918 website but is no longer available on that site.

Robert Leigh Redfern was born in Manchester in 1891, the son of John and Alice who later came to live at The Gables, Bramhall. The two men owned a business on Market Street, Manchester. Leigh worshipped with his family at Bramhall Wesleyan Church and was a strong supporter of the Church's Sunday School. A keen sportsman, Leigh played for Bramhall Cricket Club and was secretary of the Football Club. As with many local sportsmen, he enlisted into the Battalion just after War was declared in August 1914. On 6 May, they landed at Gallipoli ready to go into action. After his first tour of duty in the trenches, Leigh sprained his ankle but stayed at duty for two weeks before having to report to the medical officer. He was sent to a hospital ship moored just off the peninsula and, in his last letter home on 31 May, wrote that he was anxious to get back to his comrades. He was, indeed, deemed fit enough to return on 3 June and was killed in the major attack the next day. Died during the Third Battle of Krithia

Sources

1. ↑ Register of Births: GRO Reference: 1892 M Quarter in Salford Volume 08D Page 69
2. ↑ Commonwealth War Graves Commission Record for Robert Leigh Redfern
3. ↑ Ancestry.com. UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1901-60; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333; Record Number Ranges: 298001-299500; Reference: 151 Image
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. UK, WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: War Office and Air Ministry: Service Medal and Award Rolls, First World War. WO329. The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England.Class: WO 329; Piece Number: 1553 Image
5. ↑ Ancestry.com. UK, WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: War Office and Air Ministry: Service Medal and Award Rolls, First World War. WO329. The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England.WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls; Class: WO 329; Piece Number: 2777 Image
6. ↑ © IWM (WMR-45077-117881) [1]
7. ↑ © IWM (WMR-45091-117900) [2]
8. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9V2-P9X : 21 May 2019), John E Redfern, Manchester, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Cheetham subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
9. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWSG-P2H : 3 July 2019), John Edward Redfern, Hazel Grove, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
10. ↑ Manchester Evening News, 16th October 1915, Page 3 Image on Findmypast.co.uk