He was born in Blaydon, near Gateshead in Durham.
Enlisting at Stirling he was recorded to be 5' 11" tall, weighing 133 lbs with blue eyes and fair hair.
He married Catherine Mathieson McDonald on 23 Mar 1942 in Glasgow. They had three children.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall Scout Section | Scout Section Sergeant | 02 Jul 1941 | 13 Jan 1944 |
Clerk
He gave his trade on joining the army as clerk and was mustered as a clerk on 20 Sep 1939. He was posted to 2 Bulk Petrol Storage Company at Ramsgate on 9 Mar 1940, also serving at Gravesend. He was promoted Corporal on 22 Apr 1940.
On 2 Jul 1941 he was posted to Auxiliary Units and appointed unpaid acting Sergeant. He was attached to HQ Company 20 Training Centre Royal Engineers at Plummer Barracks in Plymouth. This indicates he had joined Captain Edmundson as his Area HQ clerk at Fort Austin. He was awarded the Certificate of Good Service from the Commander-in-Chief (Home Forces) on 6 Jan 1942.
On 17 Feb 1942 he was attached to 187 Pioneer Company for pay, rations and discipline. Their location was Callington, as he moved to the new HQ for Cornwall at Polhilsa House. From 28 Aug 1942, this changed to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (later REME) Anti Aircraft Ordnance Workshops.
He was remembered by John Dingley's daughter, Anne, as having come from Scotland and being a poulterer. He despatched a duck needed for the table so her mother didn't need to.
On 14 Jan 1944 he was posted to St Paul's School, Hammersmith, joining 21st Army Group Headquarters. At this location, under command of General Bernard Montgomery, the invasion of Europe was being planned. Meetings there included all of the heads of the invasion forces. Robertson left on 1 Apr 1944, missing out on the visit by King George VI and Prime Minister Winston Churchill on 15 May.
He embarked for Europe on 27 Jul 1944 as part of 21 Army Group Headquarters staff. He acted up as a Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant in November. From 13 April 1945 he was posted as a Staff Sergeant to No.2 Control Section, which became 102 Control Section shortly after. They were sent to take charge of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after its liberation. This included administration and organising the relief effort. Men were brought in from over 25 different units to make up the section. They were responsible for the camp throughout May 1945. He came a War Substantive Staff Sergeant on 13 Sep 1945. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 18 Oct 1945 for his work in relation to the concentration camp.
From 7 - 11 Nov 1945 he was admitted to 94 (British) General Hospital. On 30 Nov he embarked for the UK again. On 13 Feb 1946 he was released from the army.