Captain Robert Charles Penketh
6th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
Died of Wounds
Date of Birth: 1885
Place of Birth: Salford, Lancashire
Date of Death: 16 April 1917 aged 32
Buried: Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty, France; remembered on Market Harborough Memorial, Leicester.
Captain Robert Charles Penketh age 32. Born in Salford, Lancashire, in 1885 he was the son of Major James and Kate Ellen Penketh (nee French); his father was a serving soldier with the South Staffordshire Regiment.
There is no trace of the family in 1891 census so presumably they were living abroad with the army and in 1901 the family are stationed at Litchfield, although Robert is not shown there. He attended Lichfield Grammar School. In 1911 he is boarding at St. Aidens Road, South Shields, he is single and working as a bank clerk. His parents later moved and retired to 'Edgcumbe', Higher Brimley, Teignmouth.
Robert enlisted with the Territorial Army as a private, service number 6/2283, with 6th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He quickly made his way through the ranks and became a Sergeant in 1915, and then ended up being wounded. He was then gazetted 2nd Lieutenant to the regular army from 4 September 1915 and arrived in France on 15 September. Robert was promoted to Captain and was still serving with the Royal Fusiliers when he died of wounds on 16 April 1917. Buried in Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty, France; remembered on Market Harborough Memorial, Leicestershire.
His elder brother Alfred Thomas Penketh was killed on 12 May 1917. His father applied for his medals including 1915 Star in 1921. Administration of will granted to father, James, in July 1917 for total amount of £675.7s.6d.
