Boer War Victoria Cross Recipient. Born in Penrith in Cumberland, he was educated at Dorking High School. During the Boer War, he served as a trooper with the Middlesex Yeomanry; in the First World War, he served as a Lance-Corporal with the 10th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. On March 8 and 9, 1918, just west of Polderhoek Chateau in Belgium, during the course of an attack by the enemy, Lance-Corporal Robertson realized that his troops were being cut off, so he sent two men to fetch reinforcements, whilst he and one other man remained at their post, firing their Lewis gun and killing many of the enemy. No reinforcements arrived, so the two survivors withdrew ten yards to the rear, where they continued to fire and inflict more casualties, until they were subjected to heavy bombing and machine gun fire. They withdrew further and arrived at a defended post, where they mounted their gun in a shell-hole and directed a continuous stream of fire at the German soldiers, who were, by now, pouring into an adjacent trench. Before long, however, Lance-Corporal Robertson was wounded and his comrade was killed. However, he managed to crawl back to safety with his machine gun, which he was unable to fire any more; as, quite apart from his severe wounds, he had no further ammunition. His Victoria Cross is on display in the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the Tower of London. He was, also, awarded the Military Medal.
Boer War Victoria Cross Recipient. Born in Penrith in Cumberland, he was educated at Dorking High School. During the Boer War, he served as a trooper with the Middlesex Yeomanry; in the First World War, he served as a Lance-Corporal with the 10th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. On March 8 and 9, 1918, just west of Polderhoek Chateau in Belgium, during the course of an attack by the enemy, Lance-Corporal Robertson realized that his troops were being cut off, so he sent two men to fetch reinforcements, whilst he and one other man remained at their post, firing their Lewis gun and killing many of the enemy. No reinforcements arrived, so the two survivors withdrew ten yards to the rear, where they continued to fire and inflict more casualties, until they were subjected to heavy bombing and machine gun fire. They withdrew further and arrived at a defended post, where they mounted their gun in a shell-hole and directed a continuous stream of fire at the German soldiers, who were, by now, pouring into an adjacent trench. Before long, however, Lance-Corporal Robertson was wounded and his comrade was killed. However, he managed to crawl back to safety with his machine gun, which he was unable to fire any more; as, quite apart from his severe wounds, he had no further ammunition. His Victoria Cross is on display in the Royal Fusiliers Museum in the Tower of London. He was, also, awarded the Military Medal.
Bio by: Iain MacFarlaine
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