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Old 20-04-15, 06:55
Jill Jill is offline
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Default (55) Robert Rasell, Private 47365 20thHussars the Cavalry Division

55th of the St Wilfrid's Old Boys of Haywards Hath to lose hi life in WW1.

Robert was born on the 5 April 1887 to John and Kate Rasell, who lived in Gower Road, Haywards Heath, where John was a labourer. They had seven other children and Robert was youngest but one. After his father died in 1900, Robert was working as a houseboy in 1901 but by 1911 he had become a professional soldier serving in the Cavalry in India. After finishing his service he left for Australia in 1913, returning to England at the start of the war.

Robert left for France on 27 January 1915, shortly afterwards in February part of one of his letters was printed in the Mid Sussex Times describing how another of our Old Boys, Herbert Cordery, had died when the house he was sleeping in was shelled. Robert died on Boxing Day 1917 aged 30 and is buried at Hargicourt British Cemetery grave I H 3.

This report appeared in the paper:

MID SUSSEX TIMES 1 JAN 1918
DEATH OF TROOPER R RASELL
This sad event occurred in action on December 26th, and the news will be received with deep regret by former members of the Haywards Heath Football Club, “Bob” being a very good player. He joined the Army at the age of 17, and served twelve years. At the expiration of that period he went to Australia and on the outbreak of war came over with an Australian Contingent and got attached to the Hussars.

His mother, who lives in Triangle Road, has receive a very sympathetic letter from the Rev ET Murray, CF. He wrote:- I hasten to assure you of my warmest feelings at this sad time, it is a grievous loss which only time can soothe or heal. I trust, however, you will be much helped by a feeling of secret and proper pride that you have been able to assist your country at this crisis by giving a son in such a noble cause. I buried him at the cemetery near where he was killed, and we put up a specially well made cross on the grave with all the particulars on it, so that anyone looking for it there must find it. And the fellows who came to the burial made a very neat grave of it, surrounding it with a border of chalk stones and printing RIP on the mound also in white stone. We must believe that these noble fellows receive their due reward in the life of the world to come.”

A comrade wrote telling Mrs Rasell that her son was killed instantaneously by a shell as he was coming out of the trenches. “I have known him for over two years,” added the writer, “he being in my Troop when I first took it over. He was a splendid soldier and sportsman, most popular with everybody, and is a tremendous loss to the regiment.”

Mrs Rasell has two other sons serving. One, through a shell, had a leg fractured, and the other has been gassed.


His mother received his effects of £9 6s 10d on 18th April 1918 and a War gratuity of £17 on 6th December 1919.

Last edited by Jill; 20-04-15 at 06:58. Reason: spacing
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