PRIVATE JAMES PETER ROBERTSON VC
CANADIAN INFANTRY
6TH NOVEMBER 1917 AGE 35
BURIED: TYNE COT CEMETERY, BELGIUM
27th Battalion Canadian Infantry War Diary
6 November 1917, Passchendaele
"Battalion in front line in front of Passchendaele. Weather dull. Wind N.E. Battalion assembled for the assault and all in position at 4 a.m. Zero hour was 5 a.m. Battalion attacked the village of Passchendaele with the 31st Battalion on the left and the 26th Battalion on the right. All objectives captured at 7.40 a.m. Day spent in consolidating position. 9 machine guns and 76 prisoners were captured. Approximate casualties were: 13 officers and 240 O.R.s."
Private Robertson took part in this assault and won a posthumous Victoria Cross for his actions. It's interesting to compare the above diary entry with the citation for his award; it doesn't sound like the same event.
"When his platoon was held up by uncut wire and a machine gun causing many casualties, Pte Robertson dashed to an opening on the flank, rushed the machine gun and, after a desperate struggle with the crew, killed four and then turned the gun on the remainder, who, overcome by the fierceness of his onslaught, were running towards their own lines ... He inflicted many more casualties among the enemy, and then carrying the captured machine gun ... He selected an excellent position and got the gun into action, firing on the retreating enemy who by this time were quite demoralised by the fire brought to bear on them ... Later, when two of our snipers were badly wounded in front of our trench, he went out and carried of them in under very severe fire. He was killed just as he returned with the second man."
And now look at Robertson's inscription, it's the first verse of Psalm 133: "How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity (Mother)". I think we can assume from her choice that we know what Mrs Janet Robertson felt about the war - how much better the world would be if men could live in harmony together. Interestingly, it was not uncommon for families to quote passages from the bible in a manner that indicated their attitude to the war but stopped short of being overtly critical.
