GRACE UNITED CHURCH
Sidney Robertson
Robertson, Sidney 135214
Born: October 7, 1897 in Parsons Grove, Cambridge, England
Death: September 15, 1916
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Rank: Private
Service No: 135214
Date of Death: 15/09/1916
Regiment/Service: 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion
Memorial: VIMY MEMORIAL
Panel Reference:
Sidney Robertson enlisted on July 29, 1915 committing to one year of service in the CEF. On his attestation papers he lists his mother, Minnie Robertson in Andalusia, Buck County, P.A. U.S.A. He lists his profession as florist and that he had no military experience before enlisting. He is initially placed with the 74th Bttn.
When a civilian chose to enlist in World War One, they went to the local recruiting office and was asked a collection of questions that were then entered onto a document called, Attestation Papers.
What is your Name
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In What Town, Township or Parish and Country were you born
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What is the name of your next of kin?
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What is the address of your next of kin?
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What is your date of birth?
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What is your Trade or Calling?
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Are you married?
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Do you now belong to the Active Militia?
Robertson, Sidney
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Parsons Grove, Cambr. Eng.
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Minnie Robertson (mother)
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Andalusia Buck, County Pa. U.S.A.
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7th Oct. 1897
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Florist
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No
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No
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He is 6 foot, 2 inches in height, with a 37.5 inch chest and weighed 140 pounds. The doctors described him as having dark hair, brown eyes and having a dark complexion. He lists himself as Wesleyan. He is considered fit by the medical officer at the Toronto Exhibition Camp on July 27th, so that is where he enlisted with the 74th Battalion.
​A soldier’s Attestation Papers were filled in on the day they walked in to join the military. They show family information at the time of enlistment and were signed by the soldier. These have been digitized by Library and Archives Canada.
He is commemorated on Page 155 of the First World War Book of Remembrance. The history of his battalion and of the other from Peel who served during World War One is covered in detail in the book by William Perkins Bull. "From Brock to Currie: the Military Development and Exploits of Canadians in General and of the Men of Peel in particular, 1791 to 1930." Toronto, 1935.
The Canada War Graves Registers – Circumstances of Casualty provides the information about how he died during the war. He was a Private with the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles (Saskatchewan Regt.) during the battle of Flers-Courcelette as part of the Battle of the Somme. While going forward to help reinforce the front line trench at Mouquet Farm, Courcelette, he was instantly killed by enemy shell fire and was “Killed in Action”.
The Canada War Graves Registers – Graves Registration Report shows that Sidney Robertson’s body was never identified so he is commemorated on the walls of the Vimy Memorial.
Sidney Robertson's name can be seen on this section of the Vimy Memorial.
The slideshow displayed above includes all of the documents that I have found related to this soldier’s death. Click on the arrows on either side of the picture to move to the next picture or wait as it will change on its own. This slideshow may include a copy of his page in the Canadian Book of Remembrance; a page from the Brampton Book of Remembrance; from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission you may find a picture of this soldier’s CWGC Headstone, CWGC Certificate, CWGC War Graves Registry, CWGC Circumstance of Causality, and photos of the cemetery where he is commemorated.