Nothing is known of Robert's background except that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records that he was the son of Samuel and Eleanor Atherton of Runcorn. Robert is understood to have died, from natural causes, after being gassed during the War. As he is buried in Heaton Mersey, it is probable that the area was his family home and that Mr & Mrs Atherton moved to Runcorn later.

His service number is low enough to suggest that he might have been a regular soldier. Some time in late 1916 or early 1917, Robert undertook an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Military Medal. The award was mentioned in the Battalion's War Diary on 7 March and was officially published in the London Gazette on 17 April. Publication in the Gazette normally happened about 3 - 4 months after the actual event, but the War Diary gives no indication of what it might have been.