Robert Alfred Quatermass was born in the summer of 1889 in Hemel Hempstead the youngest son of John Smith Quatermass and Henrietta Barrett. John and Henrietta had eight children who were: Ernest Warick , Lilian, Amy, Kate and Cyril who were twins, Winifred, Kathleen Mabel, Robert Alfred and Jane.

Misfortune and tragedy attended the family when first Amy died at birth in 1873 followed by Kate aged one in 1879. Twelve-year-old Kathleen Mabel was found brutally murdered near Bods End in 1896, an event which caused a sensation nationally. Finally in 1892 the youngest child Jane died at birth. Robert’s parents died within seven days of each other in 1925.

Robert’s family originally came from Shoreditch in London, but came to Hemel Hempstead in 1883 where his father John set up business as a Greengrocer. The family settled at Bods End Farm, a remote underdeveloped area to the north-east of Hemel Hempstead, where Warners End is sited today.

By 1901, Robert’s father had opened a Greengrocer’s shop at 22 Mill Street, Apsley End just across the road from the ‘Spotted Bull’ public house. His oldest brother Ernest had opened a Fishmonger’s shop at 84 St. John’s Road in Boxmoor. Ernest married and later emigrated with his family to Australia where he died in 1923.

In 1911 twenty-year-old Robert was working as a ‘Labourer’ while still living with his parents at Bod’s End Farm. However, this changed two years later when he married Mary Louisa Foskett on Sunday, 23rd November 1913. Robert and Mary had one child together, a daughter Marguerite, born in 1915.

On the outbreak of war Robert was amongst the first wave of recruits in Hemel Hempstead, attesting in August 1914 and joining the Bedfordshire Regiment. He was posted to the newly formed 7th Battalion, assigned to “B” Company, and the following month sent to Warminster in Wiltshire to begin his basic training.

The 7th Battalion was part of 'K2' - Lord Kitchener’s New Second Army and it was initially attached to the 15th (Scottish) Division whilst training. In February 1915, the Battalion moved into the 54th Brigade of the 18th (Eastern) Division, where it remained until May 1918.

Robert spent the next eleven months training until he was mobilised for service and sent to France in August 1915. He did not see his first significant action until July 1916 when he fought in the Battle of Albert on the Somme where the 18th Division successfully captured its objective, Montaubin. He then fought in the Battle of Bazentin when Trones Wood was captured and finally the Battle of Delville Wood. These actions started on the 1st July and lasted until the 3rd September with little respite and were costly in terms of casualties for the Division and the 7th Battalion.

Having survived the actions in July and August, Robert next fought in the battle of Thiepval Ridge in late September. He survived the first day of the Battle on 27th September when the casualties were severe, but the following day the Battalion War Diary recorded events as follow: "28-9-16 From early morning until 12 Noon everyone was going at high pressure preparing for another attack on the ground which included a very high ridge & a Redoubt called the "SCHWABEN REDOUBT" to the North of THIEPVAL. At 12 Noon the Battalion was ready for this attack and disposed as follows A & B assaulting Coys, D Coy., dug-out clearing, C Coy., Bn. Reserve."

He was in the assault with “C” Company and during the attack on the Schwaben Redoubt, he was killed.

Robert died on Thursday, 28th September 1916.

His death was reported in the Hemel Gazette a month later, although both his name and the date he died were recorded incorrectly in the article.

Robert is Remembered with Honour on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, Pier and Face 2 C.

He was only 27 years old when he died.

Robert was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.