584
ROBERTSON, James Dawson
| Service Number: | 9023 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column |
| Born: | St Peter's, South Australia, AUSTRALIA, 24 December 1895 |
| Home Town: | Karoonda, Karoonda East Murray, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | 28 August 1922, aged 26 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) Section: LO, Road: 4S, Site No: 2 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Scots Church WW1 Honour Board, Karoonda District Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 16 Nov 1915: | Involvement Driver, 9023, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Macquarie embarkation_ship_number: A39 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Nov 1915: | Embarked Driver, 9023, 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, HMAT Port Macquarie, Melbourne | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Driver, 9023 |
Help us honour James Dawson Robertson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
James Dawson Robertson was born on December 24th, 1893, in St Peter’s South Australia, to parents Helen and James Robertson. He was raised in the Church of England as a Protestant, and he worked as a farmer in Karonda before his enlistment to the Australian Imperial force.
Robertson enlisted into the AIF on October 11th, 1915, at the age of nineteen. His records include consent from his mother and father, supporting in enrolment seeing as he was under twenty one at the time. Letters from Helen and James Robertson, written from Karonda express their willingness for him to serve in the military, describing him as responsible, well fit and an experienced manager of horses. He embarked from Australia shortly after on November 16th, 1915, to Suez, Egypt for training camp and from there he traveled to join the British Expeditionary force, arriving in Marseilles, France in March of 1916. He was assigned to the 10th Howitzer Battery and was later transferred to the 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, the unit responsible for horse and motorized wagons which carried artillery shells and ammunition to front lines but were frequently targeted by enemy fire.
His service and casualty records attest that on September 27th, 1917, and February of 1918 he, he was charged 14 days Field punishment for being out of billet without a pass. More significantly in November of 1918, Robertson was hospitalized with shingles (herpes zoster) and was admitted to the Australian Field Ambulance before being transferred again to a stationary hospital. He returened to his unit 4th December 1918.
Robertson embarked for his return to Australia abroad Runic, transport ship in April 1919. He disembarked at Adelaide in June of 1919 and was officially discharged from the AIF on the first of August 1919 which marked the end of his military service.
Robertson life post war was short lived. His headstone in Keswick record that he died August 28th, 1922, circumstances unknown, aged 26. Family notices in several major newspapers stated:
On the 28th August at Keswick Military Hospital, James Dawson Robertson, late driver 104th Howitzers AIF eldest sone of JD and Helne Robertson of Karoonda aged 26 yeaesrs. A brave sufferer at rest.
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