Lance Corporal 439324 Gilbert Rubery
Grave photograph courtesy 'The War Graves Photographic Project'. More pictures at bottom of this page.
Died of Wounds on Saturday, 29th May 1918, age 27.
Buried in Grave B. 1. at Huby-St. Leu British Cemetery, Pas De Calais, France.
52nd Bn., Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regt.).
Son of William Benjamin and Sarah Jane Rubery, of Hill Crest, Woodsetton, Dudley, Worcestershire.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Port Arthur, Ontario, Resident: Unknown.
First landed France & Flanders, 21st February 1916.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at Canadian National Archives survived and transcribed.
Commemorated on the Woodsetton, Dudley Grammar School, and All Saints, Sedgley memorials.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.
Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/591534/
Genealogical Data
Birth of Gilbert Rubery registered June quarter 1891 in Dudley. He was born 15th May 1891 at 76 Dudley Road, Tipton.
1901 Census
76 Dudley Road, Tipton, Staffs.
William Benjamin Rubery (48, Chain & Anchor Works Manager, born Brierley Hill), his wife Mary Elizabeth (39, born Newcastle, Staffs), and their 7 children: Ethel Bernice (22, Governess in Private Family, born Tipton), Conrad Birch (18, Clerk in Chain & Anchor Works, born Tipton), Dorothy Muriel (16, born Tipton), John Bertram (14, born Tipton), Hilda Winifred (11, born Tipton), Gilbert (9, born Tipton), and Norman Huson (3, born Tipton). Also Sarah Poole (18, Domestic Servant, born Tipton).
William's first wife, Sarah Jane, died in 1893; he married Mary Elizabeth Huson in 1895. The first 6 children above were the children of William and Sarah, the youngest, Norman Huson, was the child of William and Mary.
1911 Census
8a Tipton Road, Woodsetton, Sedgley, Staffs.
William Benjamin Rubery (58, Managing Director of Chain, Cable & Anchor Works, born Kingswinford, Brierley Hill), his wife Mary Elizabeth (49, born Newcastle, Staffs), and their 3 children: Dorothy Muriel (26, born Tipton), Norman Huson (13, School, born Tipton), and Marjorie Joan (7, born Tipton). Also Eva Sheen (20, Domestic Servant, born Wolverhampton).
The eldest child, Dorothy, was born to William's first wife Sarah Jane. The youngest two, Norman and Marjorie, were born to WIlliam's second wife Mary Elizabeth.
Personal Data
As well as being commemorated on the Woodsetton Memorial, Gilbert is also on All Saints Church Memorial, Sedgley and on a stained glass window in the same church.
Gilbert Rubery emigrated to Canada in 1910 on the ship 'Lake Manitoba', landing in St. John, New Brunswick. In April 1911 he began working as a Bank Clerk for the Canadian Bank Of Commerce. He enlisted with the 52nd Battalion (Manitoba Regiment) on 31st May 1915 at Port Arthur, Ontario. Gilbert nominated his father, Mr W.B. Rubery of Hill Crest, Woodsetton as his next of kin.
At enlistment Gilbert was 24 years old, having been born on 16th May 1891 in Tipton. He was 5 feet 9½ inches tall with a 35 inch chest. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair but with a white patch of hair on the right side of his head. His religion was Church of England.
Action resulting in his death
The 52nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regt.) had been in the front line neat St Emile, Lens for the latter part of April 1918 before being relieved to camp near Lozinghem. The last significant action was a trench raid on the German lines on 28th / 29th April, but there was no mention of Rubery in the War Diary list of the Raiding Party.
Gilbert Rubery contracted pneumonia and died on 29th May 1918 in the 59th Casualty Clearing Station, which was stationed near the town of Hesdin from April 1917 to August 1918. Gilbert is buried in Huby-St. Leu British Cemetery, near Hesdin. His father had the following words inscribed on his headstone "Died fighting for God, right and liberty. Such a death is immortality."
Newspaper Cuttings
Dudley Herald 6th October 1917.
Patriotic Brothers .
The youngest son of Mr W. B. Rubery, Woodsetton (Norman), has been gazetted second-lieutenant and will join the York and Lancaster Regiment. He enlisted in 1915 in the Coldstream Guards. Mr. Rubery has three sons in the army, namely: Lieutenant Jack Rubery, Royal Engineers (from West Africa); Lance-Corporal Gilbert Rubery, Canadian Contingent from Ontario, and second-Lieutenant Norman Rubery, as above. Mr. Rubery's eldest son (Conrad) has been transferred from the British Ministry of Munitions, New York, U.S.A., to the Ministry of Munitions. He is now engaged on important war work in Yorkshire.
Dudley Herald 8th June 1918
Woodsetton Officer Dies of Pneumonia.
A large circle of friends of the young officer (and whose sympathy will go out to his parents) will be grieved to hear of the death of Lance-Corporal Gilbert Rubery.
He was one of the three sons of Mr W. B. Rubery, of Woodsetton, who joined up to fight for King and Country. He died in France of pneumonia on the 29th of last month. His brother 2nd Lieutenant Norman Rubery, of the York and Lancaster Regiment, has been wounded whilst Lieut. Jack Rubery of the Royal Engineers, is still serving in France.
also
ROLL OF HONOUR.
Rubery:- Lce.-Corpl. Gilbert Rubery, Canadian Infantry, third son of W. B. Rubery, Woodsetton, died of pneumonia in France, May 29th, 1918.
Gilbert Rubery window in All Saints Church, Sedgley. Close up below shows that the face actually is Gilbert.