Robert attested on 17th November 1916, he was 17 years and 11 months old, a Railway Porter by trade, and living at 136 St George's Road, Peckham at the time. He was sent to Army Reserve and was mobilized on 9th April 1917, when he was posted to 'Y' Coy to do his training and then served with No 12 and No 34 Coys in Woolwich. On 12th May 1919, he proceeded overseas with 46 Reinforcements on route to Egypt. He embarked at Dover on 6th June for Boulogne, then embarked again for Alexandria, arriving on the 21st, he joined the Base Depot at Kantara. On 19th July 1919, he joined the 2/1st East Anglian Field Ambulance and served with them until 16th November 1919. He arrived back in the UK on 6th December 1919, when he was transferred to Class Z Reserves. He was finally discharged from the Army on 3rd January 1920.