Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

George Lyndon Robinson was born on 4 July 1899, at Temuka, the fourth son of Charles and Esther (née Fawdray) Robinson, and a brother of Arthur Gordon Robinson who died in 1917 at Messines in World War I. From a very young age George joined his brothers at the Temuka Primitive Methodists Sunday School. Both George and his brother Arthur gave recitations at the Band of Hope gathering in connection with the Temuka Primitive Methodist Church in September 1905. In spite of the heavy rain the church was filled to capacity with adults and children for a splendid programme of solos, recitations and dialogues. On the 23rd anniversary of the Sunday School, in November 1906, young George, in Class IV, was awarded a prize. The family moved from Temuka to Geraldine in March 1907. At the annual prize distribution to children attending the Geraldine Presbyterian Sunday School in February 1909, George collected a prize in Miss Budd’s Class, and another in December 1910 in the Boys 3rd Class. G. Robinson was among the prize recipients at the Sunday School Anniversary of the Primitive Methodist Church, Geraldine, in March 1910, and George and Arthur gave a dialogue, “The templer’s aim”, at the Geraldine Goodwill Band of Hope meeting in July 1910. His recitation in May 1911 was “Total abstainers”. It was at the Geraldine Methodist Church Sunday School festival in March 1913 that George Robinson received 3rd prize in Boys Class I.

George received his education at Temuka and Geraldine schools. He was initially dismissed from Temuka, as he was underage. In 1906 at Temuka School, George was second equal for Merit prizes in Preparatory III. In his first year at Geraldine District High School, 1907, he received the arithmetic prize for the Preparatory II class. In 1908 he received an award for Standard I Diligence and Proficiency. He represented children of Africa in a “particularly good tableau” at the Geraldine public school annual concert December 1912, and also was rewarded for Improvement in Standard V Arithmetic. George may well have been the G. Robinson listed in the reserves for the Geraldine senior hockey team and as a playing member of the junior team to play against Cambridge in mid May 1915. He played again for Geraldine in a match against Timaru in August 1916. In the 1917 season he scored eight goals – the highest number for the club - to help Geraldine win the South Canterbury competition and the Gordon Wood Cup. G. Robinson competed in the weekly shoot of No. 40 Company Senior Cadet Miniature Rifle Club at Geraldine in late July 1916, sharing the fourth best score.

George Lyndon Robinson, groom and gardener, at Geraldine, was called up for Military Service in the 21st Ballot (Gazette No. 135731), in August 1918, appearing to be the same man as George Robinson who had attested voluntarily at Ashburton on 1 December 1917 (born on 11 November 1897 in New Zealand; resident in Geraldine; groom and gardener at Peel Forest), and who had already embarked for service abroad. George Robinson, a labourer at Geraldine, handed in his name for enlistment, in November 1917, as he had turned 20! Under the National Registration Act, 1915, he had given his name as George Lyndon Robinson, born on 4 July 1898 in New Zealand, of English parents, a groom and gardener residing at Geraldine. On his Personnel File, George gives a birth date of 11 November 1897 and age of 20 years 1 month, whereas he would have been only 18. Did he do this to be eligible to enlist? He enlisted on 1 November 1917, as George Robinson. A labourer, single, and of Church of England allegiance, he nominated his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs E. Robinson, Studholme Junction, Canterbury, and later of Maungati, Timaru. She was later of Maungati, Timaru. George himself was at Talbot Street, Geraldine. He was 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 130 pounds. He had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and black hair. His sight, hearing and colour vision were all normal, as were his heart and lungs, his limbs and chest well formed. Vaccinated and in good bodily and mental health, with no illnesses, diseases or defects, he was passed Class A. He was already serving with the 2nd South Canterbury Regiment.

G. Robinson was in quite a large draft of men who went into camp at the beginning of March 1918 as South Canterbury’s quota for the 39th Reinforcements. Before leaving the men were given a brief farewell at the Drill Shed. At a most enjoyable function in the Geraldine Drill Hall, the South Canterbury Orchestra presented “a perfect orgy of music”, and other items were given, when George Robinson and nine others of the 39th Reinforcements were farewelled. The war was going on, said the chairman, and they had to keep up the supplies of men, so that their ultimate object could be attained. They were going away to do their duty—not one of them wanted to go for the love of it – but for duty alone, and all were going freely and willingly. On behalf of the Home and Empire League, the Mayoress presented the men with a parcel of soldiers’ comforts, asking them to regard the gifts as tokens of the interest women took in their welfare, and wishing them a safe return to their homes. As the men left the stage hearty cheers were given, and the Band played “Soldiers of the King.”

On 3 June 1918 while at Trentham, George forfeited 4 days pay for being absent without leave. It was 5 June 1918 when Private George Robinson embarked at Wellington with the 38th Reinforcements per the “Remuera” for Liverpool, England, disembarking there on 31 July. He proceeded overseas on 25 September. On 9 November 1918 he was admitted to the No 1 New Zealand Field Ambulance – sick, and on 11 November admitted to hospital with influenza. Several hospital and convalescent depot transfers followed in November 1918, until discharge to Base Depot, France, on 8 December. Detached to the UK in March 1919, he was detained at Brocton and Codford. He was one of more than 800 men who embarked at Liverpool on 4 July 1919 and arrived back in New Zealand on 17 September per the “Port Hacking”, although it had been expected at Wellington on 16 August. On discharge he was intending to reside at Maungati, Timaru, where his parents were then living. He was discharged on 17 September 1919 on the termination of his term of engagement. George did not return his greatcoat on discharge. He did receive an Overseas War-Service Gratuity of 41 pounds 2 shillings, after serving abroad for 1 year and 77 days, and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal prior to his death.

Post war George engaged in farming near Waimate, but not for long. He died on 11 August 1926 at Timaru Public Hospital, aged just 27 years. G. L. Robinson was buried in the Timaru Cemetery. Why does his death appear as 11 August 1919 on his Serviceman's headstone in the Timaru Cemetery? Because that is the date given in the official notification of his death (probably in error as immediately below discharge date of 1919); the notification was received on 16 August 1926; the extra Christian name of “Lyndon” and the correct date of death were advised by the Timaru Registrar at the time. Letters of administration in respect of the estate of George Lyndon Robinson were granted in February 1927 at the Supreme Court in Timaru and an administrator was appointed. The administrator raised an interesting point on which there had been no previous ruling. George, a returned soldier, had spent some considerable stime in hospital, when his war pension accrued to the amount of £250. He left no dependents, but was bankrupt and had a number of debts when he died. The administrator wanted to know if he could use the accrued pension to pay creditors, but the court ruled that he had no claim to the money as it was protected by statute. George’s father and one other gave security, and Charles Robinson advised that the assets of the deceased were not sufficient to pay the debt. A week after George’s death, Mr and Mrs c. Robinson and family thanked “all kind friends and relatives for letters, telegrams and floral tokens of sympathy in their recent sad bereavement.”

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [03 February 2014]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5550 0098938 [03 April 2014]; Timaru Cemetery headstone image & burial record (Timaru District Council) [03 February 2014]; NZ BDM historical records (Department of Internal Affairs) [2014]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [February 2014]; Temuka Leader, 23 September 1905, 10 November 1906, 15 December 1906, 21 December 1907, 19 December 1908, 9 February 1909, 7 July 1910, 20 December 1910, 25 May 1911, 20 & 21 December 1912, 18 March 1913, 23 August 1917, 13 November 1917, 5 March 1918, 22 August 1918, Timaru Herald, 23 December 1907, 22 March 1910, 23 December 1912, 19 May 1915, 2 & 31 August 1916, 14 November 1917, 6 December 1917, 2 March 1918, 21 August 1918, 11 August 1919, 26 May 1920, 18 August 1926, 4 February 1927, 1 April 1927, 27 June 1927, Otago Daily Times, 25 June 1927 (Papers Past) [06 September 2014; 10 & 11 January 2016; 24 November 2017; 25 7 28 May 2020, 29 July 2020]; Timaru Herald, 12 August 1926 (Timaru District Library); Probate record (Archives NZ/FamilySearch) [13 June 2014]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• ROBINSON George Lyndon - newspaper clippings (pdf, 118.3 KB updated 19-Aug-2020)

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

TS