b. 05/03/1890 Brentford, Middlesex. d. 13/08/1918 Parvillers, France.
Robert Spall (1890-1918) was born on 5th March 1890 at Brentford, London, England. His father, Charles, was born in Bramford, Suffolk. He was a gardener, who married Annie Maria Morgan, originally from Herefordshire on 11th July 1882 at St Paul’s, Kensington, London. By 1890 Charles was working at the East India Company’s Royal India Asylum for infirm pensioners in Ealing, London. The family emigrated to Canada in 1892, and settled in Montreal, Quebec. Robert had five siblings. Little is known about Robert’s education.
He was working as a customs broker in Winnipeg, Manitoba when he enlisted in the Canadian Army at Winnipeg on 28th July 1915. He was assigned to 90th Winnipeg Rifles, joining 11th (Reserve) Battalion on 6th September. He sailed to Britain and was posted to Shorncliffe, Kent, where he transferred to the Canadian Army Service Corps Training Depot on 28th November. On 15th December he was admitted to Barnwell Military Hospital, Shorncliffe, Kent, where he transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Monks Horton, Kent. He was discharged to the Central Military Hospital, Shorncliffe for disposal on 20th January 1916. He was promoted to lance corporal on 26th May 1917. He was admitted to 51st General Hospital, Etaples on 8th June with gonorrhoea and was discharged to 3rd Canadian Base Depot on 27th July. He was eventually promoted to lance sergeant on 7th March 1918. He was promoted to sergeant on 5th May.
Robert Spall VC
Spall earned the Victoria Cross in Parvillers, France, 12th and 13th August 1918 during an enemy counter-attack, when his platoon became isolated. Taking a Lewis gun, he inflicted numerous casualties, then descended into the trench and directed his men into a sap seventy-five metres from the enemy. He again mounted the parapet of the trench and resumed his fire in order to further hold up the enemy. It was at this point that he was killed; Spall sacrificed his life in order to extricate his platoon from a difficult situation, and his bravery allowed his men to be saved.
Spall’s body sadly was not recovered after the battle, and he is commemorated on the impressive Vimy Memorial, France. The posthumous VC was presented to his father by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, at Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City on 11th November 1918. He is also commemorated on the VC obelisk in Barrie, Ontario, on Plaque 19 at the York Cemetery VC Memorial, Toronto, on Brentford War Memorial, and on the VC Memorial at Hounslow Civic Centre, London. He also has a VC commemorative stone which was unveiled at 16 Spencer Road, Acton, Malling, Kent on 13th August 2018.
In addition to his VC, he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19. His mother also received the Canadian Memorial Cross, which was sent via post on 21st July 1920. When it was offered for sale in an online auction, members of the Regiment raised funds to purchase it for $C8,000 on 9th October 2013 and presented it to the Regimental Museum. The VC was presented to the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry on 24th July 1969 by his sister, Mrs Isabel Stoneman. It is held by the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Museum, Calgary, Alberta.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: PRINCESS PATRICIA’S CANADIAN LIGHT INFANTRY MUSEUM, CALGARY, CANADA.
BURIAL PLACE: NO KNOWN GRAVE – ON VIMY MEMORIAL, FRANCE.
Acknowledgement:
Phil Portwood – Image of the Spall VC Stone in Ealing, London.