Alfred William Robin
Born 12 Aug 1860 - Died 2 Jun 1935
- Service number
- South African 7005 AWMM
- WWI N/N AWMM
- Also known as
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- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Colonel/Military AWMM
- War
About
- Title
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- Forenames
- Alfred William AWMM
- Surname
- Robin AWMM
- Ingoa
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- Also known as
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- Service number
- South African 7005 AWMM
- WWI N/N AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 12 Aug 1860 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
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- Next of kin
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- Relationship status
- Married AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- Campaign
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- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- South African 7005 AWMM
- WWI N/N AWMM
- Military service
- B' Battery, New Zealand Field Artillery Volunteers, 1878 AWMM
- Southland Hussars, 1882 (Trooper) AWMM
- Dunedin Cavalry Volunteers, 1883 (Sgt. Major) AWMM
- Commanded Diamond Jubilee Contingent 1897 AWMM
- Otago Hussars ,1886 (Lieutenant in 1889, Commanding Officer and Captain from 1891-1898) AWMM
- Otago Battalion, Mounted Rifle Volunteers, 1898 (Major) AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CB) AWMM
- Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) AWMM
- Queen's South Africa Medal (Relief of Kimberley, Driefontein, Johannesberg, Diamond Hill, South Africa 1901 clasps) AWMM
- Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) Three Times AWMM
Citation for Mentioned in Despatches: "Deserves special mention for the frequent occasions upon which he and his men have performed signal service during these operations" (London Gazette, 4 May 1900, and 16 April 1901) AWMM - Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration AWMM
- Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal AWMM
- New Zealand Volunteer Service Medal AWMM
- New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medal AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- South Africa Coach builder/Civilian AWMM
- WW1 Unknown/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- South Africa Vessel was Waiwera AWMM Major/Military AWMM 1st Contingent AWMM 1st Contingent AWMM
- WW1 Major/Military AWMM New Zealand Military Forces AWMM New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
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Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Colonel/Military AWMM
- Last rank
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Biographical information
- Father: James Robin Baker; coachbuilder, died 20 November 1920, aged 91; Mother: Anne McDougall (died 26 August 1927, aged 88)
Education: Otago Boys High School, Artillery Cadet Corps
Commissions: Lieutenant 3 July 1889, Captain 7 February 1891, Major 7 December 1898)
Robin was Officer Commanding the First Contingent, which was dispatched to the South African War in October 1899. From May 1900 to April 1901 he commanded the 1st New Zealand Regiment and on 25 June 1900 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the New Zealand Militia. Senior British and other colonial officers admired Robin's competence and his ability to inspire loyalty in those under his command. On three occasions he was mentioned in dispatches for his leadership and personal exploits, and he was appointed a CB on 19 April 1901.
He became a national celebrity, his portrait being included on commemorative medals, post office stationery and Christmas cards. He returned to New Zealand in May 1901 on the SS Tongariro (1 April 1901- 8 May 1901), was presented with illuminated addresses, swords and caskets, and on 14 January 1902 was given a Brevet Colonelcy.
From 1901 to 1906 Robin was commander of the Otago Militia and Volunteer District. In December 1906 he was appointed to the newly established Council of Defence as chief of the General Staff, the first colonial to hold the country's highest military position. The Council of Defence, feeling that the volunteer system no longer met the country's defence needs, determinedly prodded a reluctant government to introduce some form of compulsion. Robin helped to implement the system of compulsory military training after its eventual introduction in 1909.(Source = http://www.bowlerhat.com.au/sawvl/bio_britmil2.html)
Appointments: Brevet- Colonel, Defence Staff 14 January 1902, Officer Commanding Otago Militia and Volunteer District 1901-1906, Chief of General Staff + First Military Member, Council of Defence 19 December 1906 - 20 November 1910 (involved in introduction of CMT, 1909). Adjutant and Quartermaster-General December 1910. Colonel 1912. New Zealand Representative , Imperial General Staff, London, 20 June 1912 (attended military manoeuvres in England and France) December 1913. Quartermaster- General, 13 February 1914 (involved in preparation of expeditionary forces to Samoa and Egypt). Commandant, NZ Military Forces, 10 September 1914. Brigadier-General 18 June 1915. Major General 21 October 1916. Resigned as Quartermaster-General, 5 May 1919. Relinquished Command of the NZ Military Forces on 10 December 1919. Acting Administrator, Western Samoa, 1920. Posted to New Zealand Army Retired List, 1 January 1921.
Awards: Chevalier, Legion d'Honneur (1922), Knight of Grace of the Order of St John (17 May 1929), Silver Wolf (April 1933). The Silver Wolf is the highest Scout Award and was awarded to Robin as Metropolitan Commissioner of Boy Scouts Association, Wellington). King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, 1935
Auckland War Memorial Museum Scars on the Heart WWI "Sailing to War" display. Display item is a pamphlet titled 'Standing Orders for HMNZT Transports" dated 6 April,1915.
Auckland Museum Scars on Heart Boer War "New Zealand Mounted Rifle "Display. Display item is a badge."Some like the Major Robin badge put out by Vanity Fair cigarettes, championed local heroes" AWMM
About death
- Death
- 2 Jun 1935 AWMM
Age 75 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Death notes
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- Cemetery
- Karori Cemetery, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM Area 2, Block B, Row 16, Plot 9 AWMM
- Karori Cemetery AWMM
- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
- Death notice: The Dominion, 3 June 1935.
Death notice: The Evening Post, 3 June 1935 AWMM - Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Related objects
Sources
- External links
- New Zealand History online. New Zealand in the South (Boer) War.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/south-african-boer-war/introduction
Further Reference - Te Ara
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3r25/robin-alfred-william
Further Reference - Find New Zealand Artists
https://findnzartists.org.nz/artist/12884
Further Reference - Wikidata Entity
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4723633
Further Reference
- New Zealand History online. New Zealand in the South (Boer) War.
- References
- Stowers, R. (2002). Rough Riders at War: history of New Zealand's involvement in the Anglo-Boer war 1899-1902 and information on all members of the ten New Zealand contingents. Author: Hamilton, N.Z.
- Stowers, R. (1992). Kiwi versus Boer : the First New Zealand Mounted Rifles in the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902. Hamilton, N.Z.: R. Stowers.
- Holmes, R. (Ed.). (2001). The Oxford companion to military history. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
- Ell, S. (2008). A New Zealand Christmas: three centuries of Kiwi Christmas celebrations from the Alexander Turnbull Library. Auckland, N.Z.: Godwit.
p. -50-51 Portrait features on a Christmas card 1899 - Volunteers: the Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society
Volume 8, No. 2, Sept. 1981 and Volume 8, No. 3, December 1981 - The Dictionary of New Zealand biography. 1901-1920 (Vol. 3). (1996). Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland University Press : Department of Internal Affairs.
The Dictionary of New Zealand biography. Vol. 3, pp. 437-438 - Gillett, Lawrence Henry, photographer (1914-1918). Gillett Album. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira PH-ALB-118.
- St Clair Inglis, A. (c1902). Souvenir Album of the first New Zealand Contingent South African War. Auckland, N.Z.: Arthur Cleave & Co.
- McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
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