Category: Military
Rank: Private
Regiment or Ship: Royal Sussex Regiment; Middlesex Regiment; Northamptonshire Regiment; Suffolk Regiment.
Service Number(s): 39629; 48032
Occupation: Gardener
Date of Birth: 1879
Place of Birth: Southampton, Hampshire
Date of Death: 30.04.1964
Place of Death: Hastings, Sussex
Address: Donnie, Sea Road, Little Common, Bexhill on Sea
Photos and newspaper articles
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Family Information
Parents: David Cole (1854-1890) and Mary Anne Cole, nee DeCourcy (1853-).
On 15th October 1904 Robert married Frances Gilham in Bexhill. They had nine children:-Robert de Courcy (1905-1972); Frederick (1906-1993); Francis Stephen (1908-1940); Leonard David (1909-); John de Courcy (1911-1978); Ronald de Courcy (1914-1992); Winifred Joyce (1916-2013); Douglas (1920-2012); Margaret Ellen (1923-1998).
In 1911 Robert and three of their children lived at Steep Cottage, Jarvis Brook, Rotherfield, but by 1914 had moved to Donnie, Sea Road, Bexhill on Sea.
Sometime in 1949 Robert travelled to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and arrived back in Liverpool on 16th September 1949 aboard the Ascenia of the Canadian Pacific Line.
At the time of Robert’s death he was living at 5 Little Twitten, Cooden, and he left £1319 to Robert de Courcy Cole (the younger).
First World War Experience
Robert enlisted on 10th December 1914 when he was 35 years and 7 months old. He was posted to the Royal Sussex Regiment and went on to serve in the Middlesex Regiment, the Northamptonshire Regiment, and the Suffolk Regiment.
On 1st January 1916 the following letter appeared in a local newspaper:-
“Donnie, Sea-road, Little Common
28th December 1915
Dear Mr Editor – We all thank you and your readers for your kindness for the nice parcels you sent me and my five brothers for Christmas. They made our Christmas happy, although Dad was away. Mother wrote and told him about them, and he joins her in thanking you all for giving us so much pleasure.
Wishing you and all your readers a happy and prosperous New Year.
From
Bobby Cole”
Robert was demobbed on 16th April 1919 and was awarded a pension due to “debility of 30% due to services”.
He was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.