209630 Capt. Clement Robertson VC.British Army Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment from:South Africa (d.4th Oct 1917) Clement Robertson's father, a captain in the Royal Artillery, was serving in South Africa when Clement was born in 1890. The family was from Ireland and Clement grew up in Delgany, although he went to school at Haileybury before attending Trinity College, Dublin.
Clement was 26 years old, and an acting Captain in The Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment, British Army, Special Reserve, Tank Corps during the First World War when he was awarded the VC.
"On 4 October 1917 at Zonnebeke, Belgium, Captain Robertson led his tanks in attack under heavy shell, machine-gun and rifle fire over ground which had been ploughed by shell-fire. He and his batman had spent the previous three days and nights going back and forth over the ground, reconnoitering and taping routes, and, knowing the risk of the tanks missing the way, he now led them on foot, guiding them carefully towards their objective, although he must have known that this action would almost certainly cost him his life. He was killed after the objective had been reached, but his skilful leading had already ensured success."
He was buried at Oxford Road Cemetery, Belgium, 2 miles north-east of Ypres. Robertson is also commemorated in his parish church at Delgany, County Wicklow, in Delgany Golf Club, of which he was a founder member, where his name is the first on the President's Cup and also on one of the panels on the walls of the entrance hall of the 1937 Reading Room, Front Square, Trinity College.
|