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They made the Ultimate Sacrifice
ROBERTSON, Donald Morrison, AB, 3302, RCN, killed - 12 Apr 1941, HMS TRILLIUM - Son of James and Jessie Robertson, of Vancouver, BC.
Born 29 Jul 1920 in Watrous and is buried at Sandwick cemetery, Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis. Robertson's father James served with the King's Own Scottish Borderers during World War I, his uncle was the first Watrous resident killed in that war, and three of his brothers followed him into the services. In an interesting twist, Don Robertson was the first Watrous casualty of the second war. Robertson enlisted at Esquimalt late in 1938 and appeared in the honour guard which welcomed King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Esquimalt the next year. He served aboard HMCS TRILLIUM and was fatally wounded rescuing a shipmate while the Trillium was under attack by a German fighter off the coast of Scotland. For this he was Mentioned in Despatches. Donald was the son of James, a tailor, and Jessie Robertson who came to Watrous from Scotland in 1910 and later retired to Vancouver.
AB Robertson died on HMS TRILLIUM as a result of wounds suffered in an air attack on his ship. He is buried in the Sandwick Cemetery, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland.
Citation for Mentioned in Despatches:
ROBERTSON, Donald Morrison, Able Seaman, 3303, Mention in Despatches (Posthumous), RCN, HMCS TRILLIAM - Awarded as per London Gazette of 22 July 1941.
"For courage and devotion to duty when attacked by enemy aircraft - HMCS Trillium."
Ships served in: HMCS NADEN - Enlisted 03 Oct 1938 HMCS ST LAURENT - Served in ST LAURENT 05 Jul 1939 - 19 Jan 1940 as an OS and AB, RCN. Rated AB 03 Jan 1940 HMCS ST LAURENT - Served in ST LAURENT 10 Mar 1940 - 23 Jul 1940 as an AB, RCN HMCS ST LAURENT - Served in ST LAURENT - 19 Sep 1940 - 22 Feb 1941 as an AB, RCN HMS TRILLIUM - Drafted to TRILLIUM 25 Feb 1941 as an AB, RCN
(DR01-DR02) Certificate of Service - pages 1 and 2 (DR03) Report of Death (DR04) Letter to AB Robertson's mother (DR05) Headstone for AB Robertson in the Sandwick Cemetery Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Second World War Casualty Index
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