Robert Laurence Pillman (9 February 1893 − 9 July 1916) was an English

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player. He was the brother of Cherry Pillman. He played once for England, against France in the

1914 Five Nations Championship The 1914 Five Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship, Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships ...

. He was

killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...

while serving with the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Early life

Robert Pillman was born in

Sidcup Sidcup is an area of south-east London, England, primarily in the London Borough of Bexley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, bordering the London Boroughs of London Borough of Bromley, Bromley and Royal Borough of Greenwich, Greenwich. It was ...

on 16 February 1893, the third son of Joseph and Mary Anna Pillman. He was educated at Merton Court School, Sidcup, and Rugby School, which he attended from 1907 to 1911. There, he played as a forward in the 1st XV in 1910. Leaving school, he was articled to White and Leonard of Ludgate Circus, London. His older brother was Charles Pillman, who also went on to play for Blackheath and England.

Rugby career

After leaving Rugby, he played at Blackheath, where he gained a reputation for playing hard and being quick on the ball. Pillman played for the London XV that was one of only two teams to beat the South African touring team of 1912–13. Pillman's only appearance for England was against France on 13 April 1914 in the last international rugby match before the First World War. The contemporary rugby journalist

E. H. D. Sewell Edward Humphrey Dalrymple Sewell (30 September 1872 – 20 September 1947) was a first-class cricketer, popular cricket and rugby journalist and author, known universally as E. H. D. Sewell. Family His grandfather was Sir William Henry Sewell ...

reckoned that Pillman was just at the beginning of a long international rugby career.

International appearance

Military service

At the outbreak of

the Great War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...

, Pillman enlisted in the 10th Battalion of the

Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army based in the county of Kent in existence from 1881 to 1961. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, originally as the Queen' ...

, on 1 September 1914. He was made a

lance corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many English-speaking armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal. Etymology The presumed origin of the rank of lance corp ...

, and then received a

commission In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

in July 1915, being promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in January 1916. His went to the Western Front in May 1916. Pillman volunteered for the role of brigade bombing officer. In preparation for a raid on enemy trenches, he selected 50 men and trained them for several weeks on a replica of the target. He led the assault, which lasted a number of hours, and involved passing through barbed wire defences, and infiltrating the trenches. During this action, he was shot in the thigh and, although he managed to get back to his trenches, he died soon after.

References

Bibliography