Private Robertson V.C. Plaque
Municipality/Province: Sarnia, ON
Memorial number: 35071-064
Type: Plaque - bronze
Address: CCGS Private Robertson V.C.
Location: Patrols the Great Lakes, based out of Sarnia
Submitted by: Victoria Edwards
Photo credit: Lager Enterprises
On December 10, 2017, the CCGS (Canadian Coast Guard Ship) Private Robertson V.C. was the recipient of a large plaque sponsored by Canadian Pacific Railway. Singing Pete - as he was known - joined the Canadian Pacific Railway where he worked his way up to engineer and earned his nickname for his cheerful singing and whistling whether in the cab or at a roundhouse. In 1915, he joined the 13th Canadian mounted rifles and later, while in England, transferred to the 27th Battalion. The bravery that earned him the VC made him a legend among locomotive engineers the world over.
Private James Peter Robertson earned the Victoria Cross during the final assault on Passchendaele, Belgium, 6 November 1917 with the 27th Infantry Battalion.
Inscription found on memorial
CCGS PRIVATE ROBERT V.C.
ROBERTSON WAS BORN IN ABION MINES, PICTOU, N.S., ON OCT. 26, 1883. FOUR YEARS LATER HIS FAMILY MOVED TO SPRINGHILL,
N.S. WHERE HE RECEIVED HIS EDUCATION. IN 1889 THE ROBERTSONS MOVE TO MEDICINE HAT, ALTA. SINGING PETE - AS HE WAS
KNOWN - JOINED THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY WHERE HE WORKED HIS WAY UP TO ENGINEER AND EARNED HIS NICKMANE FOR HIS CHEERFUL SINGING AND WHISTLING WHETHER IN THE CAB OR AT A ROUNDHOUSE.
IN 1915, HE JOINED THE 13TH CANADIAN MOUNTED RIFLES AND LATER, WHILE IN ENGLAND, TRANSFERRED TO THE 27TH BN. THE
BRAVERY THAT EARNED HIM THE VC MADE HIM A LEGEND AMONG LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS THE WORLD OVER.
“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, NO.30471, 11 JANUARY 1918)
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