456th Agricultural Company, Labour Corps, 23rd March 1919
Morayshire Roll of Honour
Extract from the above 1921 publication :- Robertson, Thomas, No.457212, Labour Corps; born April 1870; joined at Elgin, 1914. Son of John and Bella Robertson, Aberlour. Occupation – Farm Servant.
Further Military and Civilian Research
Thomas Robertson was born in 1870 at Rothes, Morayshire.
- November 1896 – He was discharged from the Seaforth Highlanders – Time Expired.
- 1899 – Recalled to service.
- November 1901 – Discharged – Time Expired.
- 26 September 1914 – Enlisted into the 6th Seaforth Highlanders as Private No.2388.
- 29 April 1916 – Transferred to No.36 Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps.
- 11 August 1917 – Transferred to 18th Battalion, Royal Defence Corps.
- 1 December 1917 – Transferred to 456th Agricultural Company, Labour Corps.
- 18 March 1918 – Discharged at Nottingham from the military due to sickness.
- 23 March 1919 – Died.
Medical Condition, Sickness and Description
His description on discharge is given as follows:-
- Height – 5’8″
- Eyes – Blue / Grey
- Hair – Fair Grey
- Trade – Farm Servant
- Conduct – Very Good
- Character – Honest, Sober and Trustworthy.
He was clearly suffering from illness before and during his enlistment in 1914 as the report suggests. He was given complete discharge due to having Chronic Gastritis aggravated by O.M.S. which appears to be opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome an autoimmune process involving the nervous system. The medical report conducted at Inverness on 18 February 1918 goes on to indicate that the future didn’t look promising due to his current condition. It reads as follows:-
Medical History – In 1906 he suffered from pain and vomiting for a month, in bed all the time. Since then he continued well till December 1917. On the 17 December 1917 he came into the Military Hospital, Inverness with persistent vomiting and great pain, for a fortnight nothing would lie on his stomach. Since then he has partially improved, but has frequent attacks still. He states that he was six years in India, and there had malarial fever, with three recurrences afterwards in civil life. In South Africa two years he had no sickness.
Current Condition – Weight without clothes 7st 7lbs. He is wasted and anaemic and weak. He is in hospital, allowed up for short spells, but often when sickness and vomiting recur he is totally confined to bed. He requires opiates. No tumour has been made out, but there is grave suspicion of malignancy at the root of the condition. The area of the liver appears considerably diminished.
Family
Thomas Robertson was born in 1870 at Rothes, Morayshire.
His family is shown as follows :-
- Wife – Annie Gordon or Robertson
- Daughter – Bella born 22/12/1907
- Father – John Robertson, of Aberlour.
- Mother – Maggie or Bella Robertson of Aberlour.
Addresses
On discharge, he gave his address as ‘Sweet Hillock Cottage’, Alves, Morayshire.
The address given by his wife after his death and on the C.W.G.C. site is Inchabellie, Alves, near Forres, Morayshire.
Medals
Thomas Robertson did not serve in a foreign theatre of war during World War I and as a result was not awarded any medals, however, due to his illness on discharge, he was awarded the Silver War Badge No.356254.
Thomas having served in the military during the Victorian era, did see action abroad at the turn of the century, where he was awarded ‘The India Medal 1895-1902’ and clasp for ‘Relief of Chitral 1895’. He was also awarded ‘The South Africa Medal’ with clasps for ‘Cape Colony’, ‘Orange Free State’, and ‘Transvaal’.
Memorials
Thomas Robertson does not appear to be honoured and remembered on any memorial.
Links to Additional Information
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission – Thomas Robertson
- Lives of the First World War – Thomas Robertson
- A Street Near You website – Thomas Robertson
- Find a Grave – Family Grave in Alves
References
- Morayshire Roll of Honour.
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
- Army, Register of Soldiers Effects.
- Silver War Badge Records.
- Pension Record Card
- Pension Records – Proceedings on Discharge
Groups
Contributors:-
- Vincent Stuart
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