King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

Private Robert Helme

Private Robert Helme, number 201115, 1st/4th Battalion, King’s Own.
Robert came from Dalton in Furness and enlisted, aged 19, in November 1915. He went overseas on 11th June 1916 joining the 1st/4th Battalion just before the Battle of the Somme. Robert was taken prisoner on 9th April 1918 during the German attack on Givenchy. He was killed by an aeroplane bomb on 28th April 1918 whilst a prisoner of war and is buried in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery near Arras, France.

Items in the museum's collection:

Nominal Roll of Prisoners of War of the King's Own Royal Regiment
Accession Number: KO1353/01

Letter from the British Red Cross and Order of St John, Enquiry Department, dated 20 Dec 1918. Concerning the death of Private R Helme, number 201115, 1st/4th King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, ‘D’ Company. With information from a report by returned prisoner of war, Sergeant W Travis, 1st/4th King’s Own and Private Knapp, number 201706, 1st/4th King’s Own, and the last time that Private Helme, had been seen, 9 Apr 1918 at Givenchy

British Red Cross and Order of St. John, Enquiry Department for Wounded and Missing. 20 Dec 1918
To Mrs Allonby, 26 Hartington Street, Dalton in Furness.
Private R Helme, number 20115, 1st/4th King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, D Company.
Dear Madam,
We feel it our sad duty to have to inform you of the following report just obtained from a returned prisoner of war:
Sergeant W Travis Home address:
1/4th KORLR D Coy Railway Hotel
Ripon Camp Barrow in Furness
He tells us he knows your nephew was captured on the 9th April and he was informed later by Private Kemp, 201706, of the same Regt. that he had later been killed by an aeroplane bomb. He describes him as about 5’5”, young and fair, and came from the Furness District.
We deeply regret having to send you this sad report and can assure you that you have our deepest sympathy.
Yours faithfully,
for The Earl of Lucan.
Accession Number: KO1353/02

Army form B 104 -82 Notification of Death of Private Robert Helme, number 201115, 1st/4th Battalion, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. Killed on 28 Apr 1918 in a Church at Salome, ‘was killed by a shell during a bombardment’, notification dated 4 Jun 1919.
Accession Number: KO1353/03

Letter from War Office, May 1919 re death of Private R Helme
Accession Number: KO1353/04

Prisoner of War Postcard sent to Mrs Allonby, 26 Hartington Street, Dalton in Furness relating to Private Robert Helme, 1st/4th Battalion, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. Taken prisoner of war 9th April 1918.
Accession Number: KO1353/05

Private Robert Helme, 1st/4th Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.  Probably photographed outside his billet circa 1915/6.
Accession Number: KO1353/06

Photo: Private Robert Helme World War One.
Accession Number: KO1353/07