Thomas Robertson

Died of Wounds on the 09/11/1916 at the 2/2nd London Casualty Clearing Station, Meaulte, Somme. Wounds received at Le Transloy (part of the Battles of the Somme)

The Battalion arrived in France on the 05/11/1914. They joined the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division on the 23/11/1914. On the 29/05/1916 they joined the 100th Brigade, 33rd Division. Thomas Died of Wounds at the 2/2nd London Casualty Clearing Station in France. Wounds received at Le Transloy. On the Fourth Army front on the 2nd November, the 19th Brigade of the 33rd Division attacked again with the 1st Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and the 5/6th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), who got into Boritska Trench but were repulsed. At 3:30 p.m. the 1/9th Battalion Highland Light Infantry and the 2nd Worcester attacked Boritska Trench with the French but mud, exhaustion and machine-gun fire from Le Transloy forced them back out. On the 4th November, a 98th Brigade attack on a ridge east of Dewdrop Trench failed and on the 5th November, the 33rd Division attacked at 11:10 a.m. with the 2nd Worcester, who captured Boritska and Mirage trenches and joined with the 16th KRRC that had captured Hazy Trench. On the 8th November, the 33rd Division was relieved by the 8th Division after a lull with some dry days. These Battles occurred after the Battle of Transloy, 1st ' 18th October 1916 and were part of the Battles of the Somme, 1st July - 18th November 1916 : A Franco-British offensive that was undertaken after Allied strategic conferences in late 1915, but which changed its nature due to the German attack against the French in the epic Battle of Verdun, which lasted from late February to November. Huge British losses on the first day and a series of fiercely contested steps that became attritional in nature. For all armies on the Western Front it was becoming what the Germans would call "materialschlacht" : a war not of morale, will or even manpower, but of sheer industrial material might. The 15th September 1916 saw the first-ever use of tanks in the step known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The British army in France is now approaching its maximum strength in numbers but is still developing in terms of tactics, technology, command and control. See Directory for Thomas' elder brother John's page. Thomas is also remembered on the Glasgow (online), Coatbridge High School and Dunbeth Parish Churches Rolls of Honour (his brother John is listed on another section of the Dunbeth Church Roll of Honour) and with his elder brother John at the Family Plot in Old Monkland Cemetery (see photos). See photos for Thomas' Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clipping, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report x 2, Grove Town Cemetery, Thomas and his elder brother John's Pension Records x 2 and the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge. Thomas' grave inscription reads "NEVER FORGOTTEN LOVED BY ALL."