ROBERTSON, PTE ROY - Regimental #: 466995
Roy McLean Robertson was born November 25, 1893, son of William and Eliza (MacBean) Robertson who operated the general store in Dunchurch. Roy was a brother of Angus. Roy enlisted July 22, 1915. Roy arrived in England on the SS Metagami on May 5, 1916. In June he transferred from the 63rd Battalion to the 5th Battalion where he was ‘taken on strength’ in the Field in June. On September 28, 1916 he was hospitalized from a gunshot wound to his right elbow.
Roy Robertson
He returned to duty and in April again reported to the 5th Battalion Overseas. On August 18, 1917 he was admitted to hospital with an undiagnosed condition. On Sept. 1 this was identified as shell shock.
On August 10, 1918 he was wounded. The note accompanying his record stated “Buried Shock Sick”
Roy remained overseas until May, 1919 when he returned to Canada.
Lynn Abbott Lennox a granddaughter of Angus Robertson notes that, Grandpa Angus told us a story about Roy in France. When it was time to attack from the trenches there would be men praying, crying, talking to their friends and so forth. The last order was to wake up Roy who would have been asleep against the trench wall. They couldn't send him out at night to listen for enemy activity because he would fall asleep and be exposed in the morning.
Roy told us about being injured. He and another soldier were carrying a stretcher back away from the front and a shell exploded next to them in the mud. They were buried up to their necks and had to be dug out. He said that when he got to the field hospital there was a battery next to the location. As he put it "It was the darndest thing. Every time the guns would go off I would jump straight up and start to run".
Lynn Abbott Lenox further notes that both brothers predictably suffered dreadful "shell-shock". Additionally, as noted, Angus suffered serious lung damage from the gas used at Vimy Ridge, the damage of which created health challenges for the remainder of his life. “
