Private William Robertson
3rd Battalion, AIF
Service Number: 173
Born: 24 September 1892, Aywick, Scotland
Died: 9 March 1915, Cairo, Egypt
William James Robertson was born on 24 September 1892 in Aywick, East Yell, Shetland Islands, Scotland to Laurence and Margaret Robertson. He was a seaman in the merchant service before arriving in NSW sometime after 1911. He moved to the St Marys district and at the time of his enlistment he was employed in Martin Brell’s tannery. He belonged to a
number of clubs and associations including: the St Marys Rifle Club, the Druids and the Mechanics Institute. As a tribute after the war his mother, Margaret submitted his photograph and information for Shetland’s Roll of Honour, published in 1920.
Robertson enlisted on 17 August 1914 and was allocated to A Company, 3rd Battalion. He left Australia aboard A14 HMAT Euripides which left Sydney on 18 October 1914 and arriving in Egypt in early December 1914, where the troops undertook extensive training in preparation for the Gallipoli campaign. Robertson was hospitalised in March 1915 and died of bronchial pneumonia on 9 March 1915.
Memorial Details:
- Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt
- Roll of Honor, Victoria Park, St Marys
- Roll of Honor, Shetland Islands
Sources:
- National Archives of Australia: B2455, ROBERTSON W J
- Australian War Memorial First World War Nominal Roll
- Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
- Penrith City Library Biography files
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