AITKEN, Robert Andrew Sinclair
| Service Number: | 4971 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 January 1916, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland, 1886 |
| Home Town: | Goodwood, Unley, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Master Tailor |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 5 November 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
AIF Burial Ground, Grass Lane, Flers, France Special Memorial 13 , AIF Burial Ground, Flers, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 4971, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, HMAT Barambaf Not imported from embarkation roll
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| 27 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 4971, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Barambah embarkation_ship_number: A37 public_note: '' | |
| 27 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 4971, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Barambah, Melbourne | |
| 27 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, HMAT Barambah A37 | |
| 5 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 4971, 27th Infantry Battalion, 'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt winter of 1916/17 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
Obituary
The Advertiser Thursday 26 April 1917 page 8
THE LATE LANCE CORPORAL R A. S AITKEN
Lance Corporal Aitken of Petersburg, who was reported missing some time ago has now been reported killed in action. He was born in the Shetland Islands in 1888, but was brought up in Edinburgh. With his wife he arrived in Adelaide five years ago, and after some months' residence at Parkside he took a share in a tailoring business at Petersburg. During their residence of three years there Mr. and Mrs. Aitken were earnest supporters of the local Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Aitken was secretary and an elder. He enlisted in January, 1916, and qualified as a sergeant. In June he was chosen to command a company of reinforcements. When volunteers were called for service at the front he offered and left for France in September aver one month in camp on Salisbury Plain. By October 21 he was in the trenches, and he was killed in action on November 5. Both as a man and an officer he was very popular.
Submitted 22 January 2016 by Faithe Jones
Biography
Born Park Lane, Lerwick, Shetland Islands
Son of Andrew John AITKEN and Christina WILLIAMSON
he married Jane Drummond WATSON on 5th October, 1910 in Edinburgh, Scotland
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