William Archibald Robertson does not have a likeness. If you have one, please link to it in the comments section.

William Archibald Robertson cap badgeSergeant William Archibald Robertson

2nd Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Service No: 1946

William Archibald Robertson grave

857

3

1

0

2
Click here for a frameable A4 print
Personal details

Family Information

Son of William Robertson. William had a brother Malcolm and 4 sisters Isabel, Christina, Winifred, and Catherine.

Born / Resided

Burntisland, Fifeshire / 169 Main St, Coatbridge

Died

Killed in Action on the 09/05/1915 on the opening day of the Battle of Aubers

Enlisted

Glasgow 1914

Employed

(No data. If you have details, please add a comment)

Age

(No data. If you have details, please add a comment)

Buried / Remembered

Le Touret Memorial (Panels 24 to 26), Pas de Calais, France

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The Le Touret Memorial commemorates over 13,400 British soldiers who were killed in this sector of the Western Front from the beginning of October 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos in late September 1915 and who have no known grave. Almost all of the men commemorated on the Memorial served with regular or territorial regiments from across the United Kingdom and were killed in actions that took place along a section of the front line that stretched from Estaires in the north to Grenay in the south. This part of the Western Front was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the first year of the war, including the battles of La Bassée (10 October – 2 November 1914), Neuve Chapelle (10 – 12 March 1915), Aubers Ridge (9 – 10 May 1915), and Festubert (15 – 25 May 1915). Soldiers serving with Indian and Canadian units who were killed in this sector in 1914 and 1915 whose remains were never identified are commemorated on the Neuve Chapelle and Vimy memorials, while those who fell during the northern pincer attack at the Battle of Aubers Ridge are commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial.

Additional Information

William and the Battalion arrived at Marseilles on the 12/10/1914 and they were part of the Bareilly Brigade, Meerut Division. Thomas was Killed in Action on the opening day of the Battle of Aubers Ridge which proved a disaster for Britain with shell shortages blamed. The Battle on the 09/05/1915 : The Southern attack was to be made in easterly direction by the 1st and Meerut Divisions, on a 2400-yard front between Chocolat Menier Corner and Port Arthur (1st Division would have an attack frontage of 1600 yards; Meerut 800 yards), with the objective Rue du Marais – Lorgies – Ligny le Grand, incorporating La Cliqueterie (a heavily defended German strongpoint). Southern pincer - 3.45pm : Bareilly Brigade, moving up to relieve the Dehra Dun, loses more than 200 men due to enemy shelling. 3.57pm : Meerut Division orders Bareilly Brigade to advance, even though it is clear that conditions are unchanged : few men even reached a small ditch 20 yards in front of their own front line, and the Brigade suffered more than 1000 casualties within minutes. More than 11,000 British casualties were sustained on the 9th of May 1915, the vast majority within yards of their own front-line trench. Mile for mile, Division for Division, this was one of the highest rates of loss during the entire war. William's Battalion had 234 casualties on this day including 8 Officers. See photos for William's Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Le Touret Memorial Panel List, his name on the Le Touret Memorial and the Black Watch Cap Badge.

Photos
William Archibald Robertson Medal Index CardWilliam Archibald Robertson newspaper clippingWilliam Archibald Robertson newspaper clippingWilliam Archibald Robertson newspaper clippingWilliam Archibald Robertson remembered at homeWilliam Archibald Robertson additional photoWilliam Archibald Robertson additional photo

Creative Commons License

We have made this information and the images available under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement: © coatbridgeandthegreatwar.com

Comments

There are no comments yet for Sergeant William Archibald Robertson. Be the first to leave one.

Do you have any information about or memories of Sergeant William Archibald Robertson that you would like to share?

Or even if you would just like to leave a message to say you've been here, please leave a comment below.

*Please note that all comments are verified by a moderator before appearing on the site. All fields are required except links to photos.