Pte 36884 Robert Arthur Quayle

Robert Athur was born in the December quarter of 1896 in Barton Under Lyne, Manchester to Isle of Man born tailor, John James Quayle and his Isle of Man born wife Ruth (nee Gawne) who married on the 07 November 1895 in the Isle of Man but moved soon after to Levenshulme, Manchester and had seven children, all of them were born in Barton Under Lyne, except for their last child Clarence who was born in the Isle of Man in 1910 when the family appear to have moved back to the Isle of Man.

 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 10 Cronshaw Street, Levenshulme, Manchester. His father is a 40 year old tailor born in Douglas, Isle of Man, his mother is 28 years of age and was also born in Douglas. They have three children in the household; Robert is 4, John is 2 and Evelyn M. is 8 months old. Also declared in the household is a boarder, 39 year old char-woman, Mary Prendergast born in Liverpool.   

 

The 1911 Census shows the family are now living at 31 Peel Road, Douglas, Isle of Man. His father is now aged 50 and is still a tailor, his mother is 38 years of age and is a boarding house keeper. They have been married for 15 years and have had seven children all of whom have survived. They declare six children in the household; Robert is shown aged 14 as a butchers boy, John Edgar is 12, Evelyn Maud is 10, Douglas is 8 and Harold is 7, all are at school, and Clarence is aged 1.   

 

According to Soldiers Died in the Great War, Robert enlsted in Seaforth as Private 36884 joining the 20th (Pals) Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment. He was subsequently transferred to the 18th Battalion K.LR. and subsequent transfers to the 13th Battalion and finally to the 6th Battalion.  

 

He received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal which indicates that he was posted overseas after 1915 as there is no record of a 1914-1915 star.  

 

On 28 May 1917, his father John James died, aged 57, in Douglas. His widow, Ruth, remarried and became Ruth Smith living at 31 Peel Road, Douglas. 

 

On 09 November 1918, Robert Arthur died of his wounds, aged 22, and he now rests at Fretin Communal Cemetery in France. He became the last soldier of the Isle of Man to die in the Great War.

 

The graves at Fretin Communal Cemetery are those of soldiers who died in the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station at the end of October and early in November 1918. There are now over 20, 1914-18 and a small number of 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site.

 

His Soldiers Effects Pay of £16:18s:3d was paid to his mother on 15 March 1919 including a £15 War Gratuity. 

 

Robert is commemorated on the following Memorials:

 

Douglas War Memorial

 

Manx National Memorial