Robert John Fisher

Born: 24 August 1892

Died: 3 October 1915

Rank and Regiment: Lance Corporal 9026 in the 1st Battalion of the Coldstream Guards

Resting Place: St. Botolph’s Church, Barford, United Kingdom

Memorials: War Memorial at St. Botolph’s Church, Barford, United Kingdom

Robert was born on the 24th August 1892 in Fundenhall and was baptised in the local church on the 16th April 1893. He was the son of Robert Horace and Ellen Martha Fisher, and the older brother of Charles Fisher. He lived in Fundenhall for a number of years with his family, however by 1911, he was a Private in the Coldstream Guards residing in the Guards Depot in Caterham, Surrey.

Shortly after the war began, Robert was transferred to Cedar Lawn convalescent home in Hampstead. Here, soldiers received clinical care and rehabilitation following catastrophic injuries. Accounts of Cedar Lawn state that patients were encouraged to undertake needlework and handicrafts, as well as play cricket, tennis and other sports.

Sadly, Robert never recovered and died at the 3rd October 1915. In this he appears to have been desperately unlucky as of the 2,383 patients treated at Cedar Lawn between November 1914 and June 1919, only 2 died. Whilst the cause of his death is unknown, if Robert remained with his regiment, he would fought at the Battle of Loos. If he suffered injuries during this battle, he would have been sent to the convalescent home to recover.

On 8th October 1915, Robert was buried in St. Botolph’s Churchyard in Barford, Norfolk. His grave (pictured below) refers to both himself, and his younger brother Charles who is commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial in France. Both brothers are also commemorated on the War Memorial in the St. Botolph’s.

His effects of £11. 19s. 5d. together with a War Gratuity of £6 were left to his father Robert. Like his younger brother Charles, he appears to have been awarded the 14 star medal for his actions as part of the British Expeditionary Force. 

A family photograph of him has been posted online on the Ancestry site; the inscription on the back apparently reads “Corporal Robert John Fisher 1st Batt. Coldstream Guards died Oct 3rd 1915 aged 23 after serving in the great war with Germany”; but it is clear from the only part of his military records which survives, the “Record of Soldiers’ Effects”, that his rank was actually that of Lance-Corporal.