Information about birth

Year of birth:
1880
Place of birth:
Springwell Village, Durham, England, United Kingdom

General information

Profession:
Colliery Station Master

Army information

Country:
England, United Kingdom
Force:
British Expeditionary Force
Rank:
Serjeant
Service number:
19/645
Enlistment place:
Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom
Units:
 —  Northumberland Fusiliers, 19th Bn. (2nd Tyneside Pioneers)  (Last known unit)

Information about death

Date of death:
24/11/1917
Place of death:
Dozinghem Casualty Clearing Station, Westvleteren, Belgium
Cause of death:
Died of wounds (D.O.W.)
Age:
37

Cemetery

Dozinghem Military Cemetery
Plot: XIII
Row: E
Grave: 11

Distinctions and medals 2

British War Medal
Medal — 15/01/1920
Victory Medal
Medal — 15/01/1920

Points of interest 3

#1 Place of birth
#2 Enlistment place
#3 Place of death (approximate)

My story

Serjeant Robert Orwin served in the Northumberland Fusiliers, 19th Battalion. This unit was the Divisional Pioneer Battalion of the 35th Division.

The 35th Division had been active in Flanders during the Third Battle of Ypres. During the month of November 1917 the 19th Northumberland Fusiliers was stationed along the Canal Bank, near the village of Boezinge. In the beginning of November they worked on maintaining and laying duckboards and tracks between Boezinge, to the North of Ypres, and the Houthulst Forest. Starting from the 5th of November 1917 all Companies of the Battalion were working under command of the 173rd Tunneling Company of the Royal Engineers, which was constructing and maintaining roads at the village of Langemark at the time.

The 19th Northumberland Fusiliers suffered several casualties throughout the month of November. Most casualties were sustained due to German shellfire. Serjeant Robert Orwin was possibly wounded due to shellfire while working on the roads near Langemark. He was evacuated to the Dozinghem Casualty Clearing Station in Westvleteren, where he died of his wounds on the 24th of November 1917. He was buried on Dozinghem Military Cemetery.

Files 1

Sources 2

Army Troops. 173 Tunnelling Company Royal Engineers , (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/335/6).
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303
Further reference
Divisional Troops: 19 Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (Pioneers). (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2477/7).
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303
Further reference

More information 4

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/153570
Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum)
https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=50d326cc-8596-4341-b2ed-f2c33c89e0f0
Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum)
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3339906
Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum)
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5395408