Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Melville Robertson (known as Melville) was born at Walloway near Orroroo in 1892, the third son of William Henry Robertson and Isabel Bryden Halliday. He grew up in the area and attended the Rye State School at Walloway. Melville had three other brothers who also served, Arthur Milton, Herbert Stanley and Robert Wilfred. Arthur and Herbert returned but Robert who served with the 27th Battalion was killed in action 9th October 1917. A photograph of the four brothers in uniform pictured with their sister was published in the Adelaide Chronical in September 1916.

Prior to the war Melville and his brother Arthur worked as farmers for several years at Yabmana near Cowell. The young men had family in the area, Uncles James Freebairn Robertson who lived at Yabmana and Alexander Frank Robertson who lived at Cowell. Melville and Arthur’s cousin John Youl (son of Alexander) also enlisted and survived the war. In May 1916 Melville married Nellie Muriel McCallum at Rose Park, Adelaide. Nellie’s family was from Carpa near Cowell.

Melville enlisted on 4th February 1916 in Adelaide and completed training at Cheltenham. He embarked from Adelaide August 12th, 1916 on the HMAT A70 Ballarat with the 4th Reinforcement of the 50th Battalion. His daughter Isabell Muriel was born 12th March 1917, a child Melville sadly never met. After the death of her husband in 1918, Nellie moved back to the Cowell area listing her address as the Post Office at Carpa.

Private Robertson disembarked at Devonport 30 September 1916 and marched into Godford for further training. He completed a Non-Commissioned Officers course in November and was appointed Acting Corporal. He proceeded to France April 9, 1917, and was taken on strength with the 50th Battalion. While fighting at Messines, Melville was wounded in the face, right thigh and right wrist on 11th June 1917. He received treatment at the 16th General Hospital in France and then was transferred to Colchester, England for further treatment. At the end of July, Melville took two weeks furlough and reported back to duty at Perham Downs Training Depot on 14th August 1917. Melville returned to France 25th September 1917 and rejoined the 50th Battalion in the field at Broodseinde Ridge, Ypres. Lance Corporal Robertson remained with the 50th Battalion until he was killed in action 25th April 1918 at Villers Bretonneux where he is buried at the Adelaide British Cemetery.

References (see links to the side)

National Archives of Australia 

Australian War Memorial - 50th Battalion Unit Diaries 

TROVE articles - National Library of Australia

Cowell RSL – WW1 Full Biographies. Stocker, B.