James Peter Robertson VC

Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

 (October 26, 1883 – November 6, 1917) was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 recipient of the Victoria Cross

Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...

 forces.

Details

Born in Albion Mines (now called Stellarton

Stellarton, Nova Scotia

-External links:*...

), Pictou County, Nova Scotia

Pictou County, Nova Scotia

Pictou County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It was established in 1835, and was formerly a part of Halifax County from 1759 to 1835. It had a population of 46,513 people in 2006, which represents a decline of 6.3 percent from 1991. It is the sixth most populous county in Nova...

, Robertson was 34 years old, and a private

Private (rank)

A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...

 in the 27th (City of Winnipeg) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force

Canadian Expeditionary Force

The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...

, during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

Further information

Grave/memorial Buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passchendaele, Belgium. 5m NE of Ypres. Plot LVIII. Row D. Grave 26. Headstone.

The medal

His medal is not available for public viewing; it is still privately owned by his family.

Announcement of the naming of the CCGS Private Robertson V.C.

On February 10, 2011, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced
that the nine new vessels in a new class of midshore patrol vessels would be named the Hero-class patrol vessels.
One of the new vessels will be named the CCGS Private Robertson V.C..

External links

• JAMES PETER ROBERTSON (service/personal details, citation, relevant documents, burial information)
• Legion Magazine Article on James Robertson
• Find-A-Grave profile for James Robertson