Captain (Adjutant) Charles Harold Robin
Royal Militia of the Island of Jersey (attd. York and Lancaster Regiment)

Memorial at Rozel Manor Chapel, Jersey Also commemorated on family memorial in St Saviours Church, Jersey St Martin's Parish Memorial, Jersey St Saviour's Parish Memorial, Jersey and on memorial window in Gouray Church, Jersey

Notice of Death appears in Jersey Evening Post of Wednesday 16 May 1917

NEWS ITEM in Jersey Evening Post of Wednesday 16 May 1917 Roll of Honour

It is with the greatest regret that we have to announce the death on the field of battle of Captain Charles Harold Robin of the York and Lancaster Regiment, who was killed in action on Friday last. The deceased officer was in his 31st year, in fact had he lived he would have celebrated his birthday tomorrow, was the eldest son of the late Mr Charles Janvrin Robin and Mrs Robin of Steep Hill, St Saviour and was educated at Charterhouse School and University College Oxford. In 1907 he was granted a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the East Regiment RMIJ and the following year he was gazetted to the Royal Fusiliers. In 1910, following an operation, Captain Robin was invalided out of the Regular Army, but retained his commission in the Jersey Militia. On the outbreak of war Captain Robin was mobilised with the East Regiment and for quite a long period was quartered with the Company which he commanded at Fort Henry in Grouville Bay. He felt, however, that he would like to undertake more active work and offered his services to the War Office and was posted to the 14th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment. He was sent to Egypt with his Battalion in January 1916, but since March of the same year he has been on the Western Front. He commanded a Company of the Battalion and had acted as Adjutant, he had also filled temporarily the position of Second in Command and of Commander of the Battalion, which for some weeks past has been in the thick of the fighting. The news of Captain Robin's death was received from the Secretary of State last evening by his brother, Captain Guy Robin. It will be remembered that on 17 September 1913 Captain Robin was married in the private chapel at Rozel Manor to Miss Yvonne Lempriere, eldest daughter of the Viscount of Jersey and Madame de Rozel. The deceased officer who has laid down his life for his Country which he so promptly volunteered to serve was exceedingly popular with a large circle of friends and was very highly respected by all those who were brought into contact with him. To his widow, who is now working at the War Office in Whitehall, and to the members of both sorrowing families we would tender our sincere sympathies in their great loss and we feel sure that all our readers will join with us in this expression of sympathy. The flag was flown at half-mast today at the Victoria Club of which the deceased officer was one of the most prominent members.

NEWS ITEM in Jersey Evening Post of Tuesday 29 May 1917
Memorial Service. A service in memory of Captain Charles Harold Robin will be held in St Saviours Church on Thursday 31 May at 3.30pm.

NEWS ITEM in Jersey Evening Post of Friday 1 June 1917

The Late Captain Charles Harold Robin Memorial Service. The death of Captain Charles Harold Robin on the field of battle at the early age of 31 has been mourned by the whole community and consequently it is little to be wondered at that a very large and representative congregation assembled at St Saviours Parish Church yesterday afternoon where a Memorial Service was held. The wardens of St Saviours were present and directed the folk to their seats, with seats being specially reserved for the staff and servants both at Steep Hill and at Seymour House, the residence of Mrs C H Robin. Amongst a long list of mourners was His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and various other dignitaries. As the folk entered they were handed two little memorial booklets, one containing the form of service to be used and the words of the hymns to be included in the service and the other, which had on the forefront the following inscription "In Memoriam Charles Harold Robin York and Lancaster Regiment. Born 17 May 1886 killed in action 11 May 1917" and this contained a number of appropriate verses the first a little fragment of Rupert Brooke, the second a little sacred poem entitled "On the Rue du Bois" by a Canadian chaplain and the third entitled "Eucharisteria" bearing the signature RWM, written at University College Oxford, all of these little poems were appropriate to the occasion, each one standing for abiding hope and gave some courage to bravely face the days that are to come. The service was preceded by the playing of the Marche Funebre of Panne by Mr Luke, the organist and choirmaster of St Saviours, whose choir was for the occasion augmented by choristers from the daughter church of St Luke. The clergy present included The Very Reverend the Dean, Reverend Canon E Luce MA, Reverend G P Balleine, Rector of St Martin and Reverend J Middlehurst, Curate. The service opened with the hymn "Thine for Ever", a most appropriate hymn which speaks eloquently of the source of hope to all who are afflicted or who mourn. The service mainly took the form of the burial service and included the introductory sentences which preceded the 90th psalm which was chanted by the choir. The lesson was read by the Dean and came from the first epistle to the Corinthians, this reading was impressive in the extreme and indeed was one of the outstanding features of the solemn service. The hymn "How Bright Those Glorious Spirits Shine" followed the Lesson and then the proper Collects from the burial service were intoned by the Reverend Balleine. Before the Benediction was pronounced the Dean offered prayers for the gallant young officer whose memory the congregation had met together to honour, for all who had fallen in battle during this war, for all who were suffering or were distressed or who mourned, these intercessions being closely followed by the congregation and becoming the unison appeal to the Throne of Grace of the whole congregation. The service over, all stood whilst Mr Luke played the Dead March in Saul, seldom have we heard that magnificent and moving composition played with more telling effect, and its rendering certainly set the seal on a service which for simple solemnity will not easily be forgotten by those present. Appropriately enough for the memorial service of one who had laid down his life for King and Country the service concluded with the National Anthem, which was sung with such fervour as to have shown each one regarded it as a sung prayer for help for our country at this time.

NEWS ITEM in Jersey Evening Post of Tuesday 5 June 1917 - Reprinted from The Times

The Late Captain C H Robin - Utterly Unselfish and Continually Helping Others. Captain Charles Harold Robin, Royal Jersey Militia attached York and Lancaster Regiment, killed on 11 May in his 31st year, was the elder son of the late Mr Charles Janvrin Robin & Mrs Robin of Steep Hill, Jersey. He was educated at Hazelwood at Limpsfield, Charterhouse and University College, Oxford. In 1907 he received a commission in the Jersey Militia and in the following year was gazetted to the Royal Fusiliers, but owing to ill health he was obliged to relinquish his commission in 1910. On the outbreak of war he was mobilised with the Jersey Militia and in 1915 was attached to the York and Lancaster Regiment, he had served on more than one Front and at the time of his death was Adjutant, he had also filled temporarily the position of Second-in-Command and of Officer Commanding. A senior officer writes "He was always ready to go anywhere and do anything, utterly unselfish, continually helping others in any way he could." Another officer writes "I have the greatest admiration for the way he carried out his work without any idea of sparing himself." Captain Robin married in 1913 Yvonne, eldest daughter of Mr R R Lempriere, Viscount of Jersey, and Mrs Lempriere, and he leaves one son.

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