Joseph Robertson

16014 L/Cpl

1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Division.

Age: 38

Date of Death: Killed in Action 16 June 1915

Buried: Menin Gate Memorial, Panel 19 & 33

Family history: He was the husband of Christine Robertson of 105 Standburn, and they had four children. The eldest of three brothers who enlisted; he was employed as a miner at Muiravonside & Redford Collieries. His brother Robert Robertson, (see his listing), died of wounds on 17 December 1914.

The action that lead to his death

9th Brigade, 3 Division, led the attack on the Bellewaarde Spur, known as the Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge, on 16 June 1915. They had been given the task of reducing the salient which had developed by the capture of the German positions between the southwest corner of Bellewaarde Lake and Roulers railway to the north of Railway Wood.

The 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers were in the centre of the first wave. They were to seize the trench between Y.13 and Y.15.

The Battle of Bellewaarde June 1915, Carole-McEntee-Taylor

The War Diary records that ‘B’ Company was on the left and reached their objective under shell and rifle fire. On the right ‘A’ Company reached the enemy’s trenches with little loss. British artillery fire was causing heavy losses and impeding the advance. Despite this the battalion got forward however; they had to retire as a result of German counter attacks and held the line Y.13 to Y.14 The casualties were 411 killed, wounded or missing. Joseph Robertson was one of the dead. He will have know Samuel Wilson also listed in the Muiravonside section.