Died: Died of wounds.
Family / Relatives: Son of Thomas and Ellen May Booth, of Welling; Grandson of Mr and Mrs Robert Hall, of East Wickham.
Other Information: Believed died at Ronkswood Hospital, Worcester.
Buried: East Wickham (St. Michael’s) Churchyard
Robert Edward Booth
Very little is known about the life of Robert Edward Booth or his parents. He was born in the district of Dartford in April 1923 to Thomas Booth and Ellen May Booth (nee Hall).
There is a marriage registration for a Nellie M Hall who married Thomas W Booth in the district of Dartford in the second quarter of 1923. If these were Roberts’ parents, it means that they were married at around the same time as he was born. A Thomas William Booth is listed in the 1915 electoral register for the Beckton and North Woolwich Ward as living at 7 Ferndale street, New Beckton (classified as a Dwelling house, successive with 16 Beaconsfield street) and also at 4a Beaconsfield Street, New Beckton. It could be that he owned more than one property and rented them out. In 1915, only men were eligible to vote, and to qualify they had to pay an annual rental of £10 or hold land valued at £10.
Sadly, the only definite details known about Robert are of his death. He was wounded in action on the 15th April 1945 in Western Europe and sent back home to the UK, where he died of his wounds four weeks later, on the 13th May 1945, aged 22. His town of residence is listed on the Forces War Records website as Worcester, so he could have been sent to hospital there. Ronkswood Hospital (which became part of Worcester Royal Infirmary in 1952) was originally built in the early 1940s to take military and civilian casualties from the war.
Robert served in the 6th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, a line infantry regiment founded in 1689 and part of the Prince of Wales’ Division. It was amalgamated with the Royal Regiment of Wales in 2006. The 6th Battalion was a territorial unit and saw action across Western Europe from mid-1944 onwards. The Royal Welch Fusiliers were part of the 23rd Infantry Division who were in Normandy, France in June and July 1944.
It is likely that by 1945 Robert was stationed in Germany. Other soldiers from the 6th battalion who died in April 1945 were buried in the Becklingen War Cemetery, near Hanover. However, Robert was buried in St. Michael’s Church with a cross headstone marking his grave, the inscription read: “God takes our loved ones From our homes But never from our hearts. Gran”. Unusually, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission not only records Robert as the son of Thomas and Ellen May Booth, of Welling; but also as the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hall, of East Wickham.
Pictured are the regimental badge, Ronkswood Hospital, and St. Michael’s Church.
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Commemorated
This story has been researched by volunteers. We have taken every effort to ensure its accuracy. If you are related to Robert Edward Booth, or if you have any further information, please do get in touch.