Captain Robert Jacobs of the Royal Army Medical Corps died of wounds on 20th July 1918, aged 39, after an enemy bomb fell on his billet.
He was born in London in 1879 (his family moved to Ashburnham, 27 Whitefields Road, Solihull between 1901-1911) and he enlisted as a Private in the City of London Sanitary Company two days after the war began. He rose to the rank of Captain within 10 months, and served on the front continuously from his arrival in France on Christmas Day, 1914.
He was twice Mentioned in Despatches, and was congratulated on two occasions by Sir Douglas Haig.
By the time of his death, he was in command of no. 8 Sanitary Section. His knowledge of bacteriology and his inventive genius bought him distinction. He invented a method for the destruction of the ova of lice by heat, which was adopted by Allied armies, and he also invented a means of purifying bath water so that it could be re-used seven times. Amongst other inventions were a self-emptying incinerator and a process of rendering down waste fats to be turned into nitroglycerine for the manufacture of munitions.
Robert Jacobs’ father, James, a retired joiner, died in Spring 1911, so the War Office’s telegram advising of Robert’s death was sent to his mother, Ellen. She also received a photograph of his grave, marked with a wooden battlefield cross, which was replaced by a Portland Stone memorial in the 1920s/30s.
Captain Jacobs is commemorated on the RAMC in the Great War website.
He was the second of three children – his older brother Harry Jacobs (1875-1964) was a bank clerk with Lloyds Bank. The brothers also had a younger sister, Maud Jacobs (1880-1961) who kept house for her brother, Harry. The unmarried siblings remained at Ashburnham, Whitefields Road until at least 1939 and were living at 18 Elmdon Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham at the time of their respective deaths.
Robert Jacobs’ family gave his medals, and the next-of-kin memorial plaque and scroll they received to Solihull Central Library, as well as the photo of his grave and the telegram sent to his mother notifying his death.
If you have any more information about him, we’d be delighted to hear from you – please do let us know (email heritage@solihull.gov.uk or phone 0121 704 6977).
Tracey
Heritage & Local Studies Librarian
Solihull Life 
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