More about Andrew Robertson

Andrew was a Dundee man who enlisted early in the war, specifically on 21 Sept 1914 to the 4th City of Dundee Bn Black Watch.  He was a married man residing with his wife at 20 Wolesley Street, Dundee.  

In Feb 1915 he entered the BEF with his Bn and after a brief acclimatisation period the Bn was placed in the Bareilly Brigade of the Meerut Division,  The original title of this Division was 7th (Meerut) Division of the Indian Corps also recently arrived in France, (late 1914).  However in order to prevent any confusion with the existing British 7th Division,  also now in the BEF, the number 7 was dropped and the Div simply referred to as Meerut Div of the Indian Corps. 

On being absorbed into the Meerut Div,  the 4th Black Watch were joining their sister Bn, the Regular Army 2nd Bn who were the British Bn already embedded in Bareilly Brigade.  Very strong links were fostered between 2nd and 4th Bns in the brief period,  (only some 7 months),  they were to serve together before the 2nd Bn were moved with the Indian Corps to Mesopotamia at the end of 1915 and the 4th were amalgamated with 5th Bn at the beginning of 1916

It was during the infamous Battles and engagements of 1915 involving the 4th Bn that Andrew became a casualty,  certainly once and likely twice in that brief period.  Unfortunately Andrews service record cannot be traced but other contemporaneous records reveal pertinent elements of Andrews story.  

In May of 1915 Andrew is reported to have sustained a Gunshot Wound to his left side which appears to have been successfully treated as he is discharged from hospital and “returned to duty” with his Bn by 19th May.   Later that year a further Casualty Report records Andrew as a Casualty dated 11 October 1915. Unfortunately there are no details of the wounding itself but two aspects can reasonably be assumed.  Firstly,  the usual delay in publishing casualty reports could mean that whilst the formal report was dated 11 Oct 15. He could have been wounded on the 25th Sept 1915 at Pietre. or perhaps 29th Sept 1915 when the remnants of 4th Black Watch had been taken under command of 2nd Bn Black Watch as two additional rifle companies, and moved South onto the Loos battlefield.   

It is though somewhat academic as what can be concluded is that the final wounding was of such a level as to make him unfit for further service, evidenced by the fact that after treatment he is discharged from the service on 2 August 1916.  In the absence of his service record it is difficult to be more definitive about this aspect.  

Andrew’s end is the result of the Flu Pandemic then raging through the world as the death certificate records he died of Lobar Pneumonia as a complication of Influenza which was the common outcome.  In line with epidemiology of the 1918-21 Flu Pandemic the mortality generally impacted younger adults and Andrew was but 33 years old when he passed away.

After his demise his Widow,  initially still living in Wolesley Street subsequently emigrated to Canada in 1919.  

A final point of interest is that whilst Andrews headstone records his rank as Pte,  in some of the documents that are accessible he is shown as Sergeant,  including his Medal Index Card and a Casualty Report