Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Henry, second son of George & Jane or Jeannie (nee Swallow) Robertson, was born at Herbert, North Otago, on 15 February 1895. He was educated at the Sutton School and had passed the 4th standard of education. Employed as a blacksmith by Mr H. McGrath of Sutton, Otago, he enlisted as a Private into the Otago Infantry Battalion on 13 February 1915. He was described as being aged 19, Presbyterian, single, 5 foot 9 inches tall, having hazel eyes, a dark complexion, black hair, weighing 12 stone, his chest measuring 34 to 37 inches and his teeth being in fair condition. He listed his father, Mr George Robertson of Waianakarua, North Otago, as his next of kin. Having had previous military experience with E Company, 10th North Otago Regiment, Henry left for Suez, Egypt, with the 5th Reinforcements from Wellington, aboard SS Maunganui on 13 June 1915. By 9 August Henry was serving on Gallipoli with his unit but was wounded in the thigh on 14 August, and evacuated to hospital in Alexandria. He returned to Gallipoli from Alexandria on 15 September and re-joined his unit at Lemnos on 21 September. After his return to Egypt ex- the Gallipoli campaign, he embarked for France on 6 April 1916. On 17 August 1918, he was promoted to temporary Corporal and posted to No.1 NZ Divisional Employment Company but soon reverted back to Lance Corporal. Except for a couple of minor bouts of sickness in France, he survived to return to NZ aboard SS Hororata ex London, leaving 1 February 1919. For his service he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal and was discharged from the army on 13 April 1919, after having been in uniform for 4 years and 60 days. Harry returned to his home town of Herbert where he was employed as a labourer, and in 1921, married Miss Ida Helen Ure. He died there on 26 July 1937, and is buried in the Herbert (Otepopo) Cemetery in Row F, Plot 91. Henry’s elder brother (no.8/281) Lawrence Robertson, who served with 2 Battalion Otago Infantry Regiment, was not so fortunate to survive the war and was killed in action in Belgium on 7 June 1917.

Sources

Ancestry.com.au at http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=allgs&gss=sfs63_home&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=henry&gsfn_x=1&gsln=robertson&gsln_x=1&MSAV=1&cpxt=1&cp=14&catbucket=rstp; Birth, Death and Marriage Historical Records at https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz; University of New South Wales, Canberra NZEF Project "New Zeland Anzacs in ther Great War 1914-1918" at http://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=218605; NZSG Index V5

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Ted Hansen, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.