James Peter Robertson

Stormed a gun and braved shellfire to save wounded comrades.

James Peter Robertson was born on 26 October 1883 at Albion Mines, now Stellarton, in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. The son of Alexander and Janet Robertson, he grew up in Springhill before his family moved west to Medicine Hat, Alberta. He worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway, becoming a locomotive engineer. His singing and whistling earned him the nickname "Singing Pete."

Robertson enlisted at Macleod, Alberta, on 14 June 1915 with the 13th Canadian Mounted Rifles. An unmarried engineer with no previous military service, he was initially numbered 13665 and subsequently served as 552665. He trained in Canada before sailing aboard Olympic in June 1916 and arriving in England on 6 July.

His mounted-rifle service gave way to infantry service as Canadian reinforcement units were reorganized. In England he passed through the reserve organization of Lord Strathcona's Horse and the 11th Reserve Battalion. Transferred to the 27th Battalion on 27 September 1916, he reached France the following day and joined the battalion in the field in October. The Winnipeg battalion belonged to the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division. After illness and hospitalization beginning in November, Robertson returned to his battalion in February 1917 and continued serving on the Western Front.

On 6 November 1917, during the Canadian assault on Passchendaele, Belgium, his platoon encountered uncut wire and a German machine gun. Robertson found an opening on the flank and attacked the position. He killed four members of the gun crew and turned their weapon against the others, enabling his comrades to advance. Carrying the captured gun forward, he helped secure the objective and then used it against enemy snipers while the Canadians consolidated their position.

Later that day two Canadian snipers lay badly wounded beyond the trench. Robertson went out under heavy fire and brought the first man back. He returned for the second and was killed by a shell as he brought him in. His life and service ended during the action for which he received the Victoria Cross, aged 34 and holding the rank of private. The posthumous award was announced in the London Gazette on 11 January 1918. He is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium.

Victoria Cross citation No. 552665 Pte. James Peter Robertson, late Can. Inf.

For most conspicuous bravery and outstanding devotion to duty in attack. 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. His gallant work enabled the platoon to advance. He inflicted many more casualties among the enemy, and then carrying the captured machine gun, he led his platoon to the final objective. He there 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.

During the consolidation Pte. Robertson's most determined use of the machine gun kept down the fire of the enemy snipers; his courage and his coolness cheered his comrades and inspired them to the finest efforts.

Later, when two of our snipers were badly wounded in front of our trench, he went out and carried one of them in under very severe fire.

He was killed just as he returned with the second man.

London Gazette, supplement to issue 30471, 11 January 1918, pages 724–725.