Robertson, James Hollands: Service no. 675132

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Family Search: When Private James Hollands Robertson was born on 23 July 1888, in Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, his father, William Beaufort Robertson, was 20 and his mother, Christina Hollands, was 25. He immigrated to Canada in 1913. He registered for military service in 1916. In 1916, at the age of 28, his occupation is listed as baker in Woodstock, Oxford, Ontario, Canada. He died on 21 August 1917, in Bouvigny-Boyeffles, Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, at the age of 29, and was buried in Aix-Noulette, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France, France.

Son of Christina Robertson, of 30, High St., Jedburgh, Scotland, and the late William Beaufort Robertson.

Source: Referred to this soldier by the Hawick and the Great War 1914 – 18 site (broken link 23 August 2023). Thanks to Derek Robinson for directing to this member of the 18th Battalion C.E.F..

Killed by enemy shell busting in road 21 August 1917.

A tribute to Private Robinson was place in the Southwestern Ontario Memorial Album “From his Loving Friend, Miss McKeown.” with the following poem:

Our thoughts often wander to a sad but honored grave,
Your name is often spoken by the friend you tried to save,
For our hearts are all united with the same fond love of you,
And loving thoughts are cherished for one so brave and true,
Oh, the bitterness of knowing he will ne’er come home again,
Nothing else can ever matter, life can never be the same,
When we said good-bye parted, he emplored me to be brave,
But I wish we could only lay some flowers on his grave.

We may never know who Miss McKeown was but she felt so tenderly she made sure that James Robertson was remembered in the Southwestern Ontario Memorial book. I suspect the poem was written by her as I cannot find any reference to it and if it was an original poem its sentiment to the loved and lost is compelling.