This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who died during The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Pillman, Robert Lawrence played for England Internationals: 1 : 1914 F+ Robert Pillman was born on 9 February 1893, Sidcup, son of Joseph Charles and Mary Anna Pillman. Played as a Flanker for: Merton Court School Sidcup, Rugby School, Blackheath, London Counties, Kent Profession: Trainee solicitor Remarks: Brother of C H Pillman. His only England cap was in the match missed by his brother due to a broken leg. A scratch golfer, he won the Gold Medal of the London Solictors’ Golfing Society. War service: Captain, “D” Company, 10th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent) (Kent County) Regiment, 124th Brigade, 41st Division. He enlisted in the 10th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, on 1 September 1914, and was commissioned in July 1915; promoted Captain January 1916; he served in France from May 1916. He was Brigade Bombing Officer. He died of wounds on 9 July 1916, at Armentières and is buried in Calvaire (Essex) Cemetery, Ploegsteert, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium [Grave IV. D. 10.].
The war diary states he was badly wounded during a reconnaissance raid on 8 July, being brought back in by his men from the German front line trench, before dying the next morning. In Memory of Captain ROBERT LAURENCE PILLMAN "D" Coy. 10th Bn., Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) who died age 23 on 09 July 1916 Son of Joseph Charles and Mary Anna Pillman, of The Cottage, Footscray Lane, Sidcup, Kent. Played Rugby Football for the XV at Rugby School, for Blackheath for several seasons and gained his International cap for England against France in 1914. Won the Gold Medal of the London Solicitor's Golfing Society. Enlisted in 10th Bn. Royal Fusiliers at the outbreak of war, and was gazetted to a commission in July, 1915. Remembered with honour CALVAIRE (ESSEX) MILITARY CEMETERY
My old mate Andy Pay posted this a few years ago .... Captain Robert Lawrence Pillman - 10th (Service) Battalion, The Royal West Kent Regiment. Robert Lawrence Pillman was the third and youngest son of Joseph Charles Pillman, J.P., C.C., Kent, of The Cottage, Foots-Cray, Kent, and of Mary Anna his wife. He was in the School from 1907 to 1911, and was in the XIV and the XXII in 1910. After leaving Rugby he was articled to Meesrs. White and Leonard, Solicitors, Ludgate Circus, and at the outbreak of War he had passed the Intermediate Law Examinations of London University and the Law Society. He played Rugby Football for Blackheath for several seasons, and gained his International Cap for England against France in 1914. He also won the Gold Medal of the London Solicitors Golfing Society. At the outbreak of War he enlisted in the 10th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, and received a Commission in the 10th Royal West Kent Regiment in July, 1915. He was promoted Lieutenant in October, 1915, and Captain in 1916. He left for the Front in May, 1916, and volunteered for special duty in leading the bombing raids, and was supported by about fifty volunteers of all ranks who had great confidence in him as a leader and a soldier. He was hit on the parapet, near Armentieres, whilst bringing back his men from a raid late at night and died from his wounds after a few hours, July 9th, 1916, aged 23. Letters from his brother Officers show that his Company Officers had every faith in him as a leader and perfect soldier, and speak of his noble example he set by volunteering at once for any dangerous undertaking, such as the raid in which he fell, while his cheery, open-hearted nature endeared him to all, and was invaluable at the Front. In a previous raid one of his men, a Private, was gassed in the German trench, and Captain Pillman carried him on his back over 300 yards of "No Mans Land" to the British trenches. The Company Quartermaster-Sergeant wrote:- "Captain Pillman was a fine Officer and a very gallant gentleman, and will not be easily replaced." Memorials of Rugbeians Who Fell in the Great War, Volume III
Not everything Andy !! You know if you Google you find all kinds of stuff ! Thanks though for all your wonderful photos and resources !! Annie
