Home  |   The Great War  |   Second World War  |   Other Conflicts  |   Useful Links  |   Contact Us

 

Major Robert Kershaw LEMON (145624)
4th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers attached to 158 Infantry Brigade Date of birth: 3rd May 1908 Date of death: 10th April 1945 Killed in action aged 36 Buried at Becklingen War Cemetery Plot I Row B Grave 8
Robert Kershaw Lemon was born at Limpsfield in Surrey on the 3rd of May 1908 the only son of Robert Julian Lemon, an insurance broker, and Elsie Jane (nee Kershaw) Lemon of "Meadow Bank", Bluehouse Lane in Limpsfield. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Gibbs House from January 1922 to December 1926. He was a Lance Sergeant in the Officer Training Corps achieving Certificate A in 1926 and was a member of the Running VIII in 1925. He was appointed as a House Captain in 1926. On leaving school he worked as a riding master. He was married at St Paul's Church, Rustall in Kent on the 21st of July 1934 to Joan Bettine (nee Albery); they lived at "The Thatched Cottage", Mayfield in Sussex. On the 28th of October 1936 his wife filed for divorce on the grounds of his adultery with an unknown woman at the White Horse Hotel, Dorking between the 19th and the 21st of September 1936 and with Mrs. Nathalie Postill at the Montrose Hotel, Wolacoombe in Devon between the 10th and 15th of September 1937. The petition was dismissed on the 25th of May 1937 but was refiled on the 6th of October 1937. A decree nisi was granted on the 20th of November 1937 and a decree absolute on the 30th of May 1938. Later in 1938, he was remarried at Westminster to Nathalie Ina (nee Grace formerly Postill), who lived at Sedlescombe in Sussex. He and his new wife lived at The Riding Stables, Culverden, St Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells. He attended an Officer Cadet Training Unit before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Cheshire Regiment on the 24th of August 1940. On the 21st of June 1941 he transferred from the Cheshire Regiment to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, retaining his rank, and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 24th of February 1942. He was promoted to temporary Captain on the 28th of April 1944. By April 1945 he was Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General to 158 Infantry Brigade. 158 Brigade received orders to advance from the River Weser and to seize the crossing over the River Aller, some seven miles to the east before advancing to capture the key town of Rethem. At 11pm on the 9th of April 1945 the 7th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers crossed the footbridge over the river and occupied the town of Hassel at 3am the next morning . B Company had a brief skirmish with elements of the Hitler Youth but these quickly fell back. The 4th Battalion Welch Regiment then passed through them and captured the town of Eystrup, to the south at about 4am. The 1/5th Battalion Welch Regiment and 133 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery then began the ten mile advance towards Rethem. When the two units arrived on the outskirts of the town it was found to be heavily defended by the German 5th Marine Garrison Regiment backed up by artillery and anti tank units. After five hours of heavy fighting B Company, who had broken into the town and nearly captured the bridge on the far side, were forced to retire with only twenty four men still unwounded. Meanwhile the 7th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers had attacked on the left of the town and had captured Wohlendorf and reached the village of Hulsen to the north of Rethem. At the same time a battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment had captured Hohenholz and Hamelhausen but a party of enemy marines managed to cut the road in their rear where they ambushed and killed Robert Lemon. He was mentioned in despatches on the 10th of May 1945.

Gibbs House