Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Robinson, a hosiery factory manager, born in the 2nd quarter of 1867 in Burbage, Leicestershire and was baptised on the 26th July 1867 in St. Catherine’s Church, Burbage and his wife Emma Robinson (nee Bennett, married on the 1st December 1890 in St. Catherine’s Church, Burbage), born in the 4th quarter of 1869 in Burbage and was baptised on the 12th December 1869 in St. Catherine’s Church, Burbage. William George was born in the 2nd quarter of 1891 in Hinckley, Leicestershire and was baptised on the 12th July 1891 in St. Catherine’s Church, Burbage, in March 1901 the family home was at 29, Hinckley Road, Earl Shilton, Leicestershire. In April 1911 William was employed as a factory manager and was residing in the family home at 41, Lutterworth Road, Burbage, together with his father, a hosiery manufacturer and his mother.
William’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted into the Honourable Artillery Company on the 14th April 1916, being allotted the service number 7435, and was posted as a Private to the Honourable Artillery Company and it was with this unit that he first entered the theatre of war in France on the 10th December 1916. His period of service with the British Expeditionary Force lasted only until the 22nd December 1916, when it is assumed that he returned to England to take up his training for a commission, being duly commissioned on the 29th May 1917 into the Leicestershire Regiment, and being posted as a 2nd Lieutenant to the 8th Battalion of that Regiment, sadly just four months later, on Monday the 1st October he was killed in action. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The War Diary records: 1 Oct-17 - FRONT LINE. The night was extremely quiet, the absence of hostile shelling was particularly noticeable. At 5.30am a heavy hostile barrage was placed on the front line, and 100 yards west of the road in J.10.a central. This was maintained until 6.00am when it became evident that a hostile counter attack on the 9th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT was in progress. The S.O.S. was sent up by the 9th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT on the right, also by this Battalion, and a heavy barrage was placed on and in front of the enemy lines. Heavy Lewis Gun and rifle fire was immediately brought to bear on the threatened flank. A few minutes after 6.00am, a message was received from the 9th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT that the enemy had gained possession of their front line. About 6.30am, small parties of the enemy were seen about JOIST FARM J.10.d.2.0 moving by short rushes towards our right front line Company and threatening to turn the right flank of the Battalion. Heavy Lewis Gun and rifle fire was opened on the enemy, who suffered casualties and were unable to make any progress down the slope towards the front line. About this time the intensity of our barrage lessened, and towards 7.00am ceased altogether. Between 7.00 and 10.30am the enemy made repeated attempts to advance against the open flank of the Battalion, but was driven back on each occasion by rifle and Lewis Gun fire. During this period it was found that the 9th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT had been reinforced by two Companies of the 7th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT and were holding the line of the road running north and south in J.10.a. A defensive flank was formed from the right flank of “B” Company J.10.d.35.50 to Battalion Headquarters at J.10.c.5.5. The right support Company (“A”) moved up to the road and linked up with Battalion Headquarters on the left, and the left Company of the 9th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT on the right. At 10.15am Captain J. B. MATTHEWS with the left support company (“D”) moved from its position J.10.a.3.2 in order to make a counter-attack against the enemy holding the high ground in the vicinity of JOIST FARM. Unfortunately Captain J. B. MATTHEWS M.C. was killed instantly by a sniper when making a personal reconnaissance preparatory to the attack, and at 10.30am the hostile artillery put down a heavy barrage on the east side of POLYGON WOOD consequently this counter thrust did not materialise. This heavy hostile barrage was kept up until 1.00pm at which hour the shelling ceased, but no further hostile attack took place. At 2.00pm small parties of the enemy were seen moving about the south west edge of JETTY WARREN, but were dispersed by rifle fire, Shortly afterwards a hostile Machine Gun opened traversing fire along the road in J.10.c central, and Lieutenant Colonel UTTERSON D.S.O. was hit in the arm by a bullet. At 3.10pm a determined effort was made by the enemy 10 or 12 strong to move down the slope from JOIST FARM towards Battalion Headquarters but the attempt was stopped by rifle fire from the Battalion Headquarters concrete emplacement, the enemy retiring and leaving several dead behind them. No further attempt to advance was made by the enemy and the remainder of the afternoon passed quietly. At 6.10pm the S.O.S. signal was put up by the Brigade on the right and an exceptionally heavy barrage was placed on the enemy lines by our artillery. No hostile attack developed and at 8.00pm the barrage ceased. At 8.05pm the enemy attempted a counter-attack against the ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS on the left. The S.O.S. was again sent up and a second barrage of an hour’s duration was placed on enemy lines. The counter attack was beaten back with loss to the enemy. The remainder of the night passed quietly and at dawn a protective barrage was formed by our artillery lasting for 15 minutes.
On Saturday 21st December 1918 The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “COUNTY NEWS.” – BURBAGE. – A magnificent brass lectern has also been placed in the church by Mr. and Mrs. Robinson in memory of their son, the late Lieut. W. G. Robinson, who fell in action with the Leicester’s in France on October, 2nd 1917, at the age of 26 years. Another gift to the church is a Bible for the lectern, presented by Mr. and Mrs. James Robinson and family as a memorial to their son, Driver Ben Robinson, who died in France last August, aged 22 years. Both the lectern and the Bible bear the inscription; “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.”