37054 Lieutenant Douglas Leslie Robertson, 27/5/1889-27/3/1918.

Douglas Robertson grew up in the farming area of Lovells Flat, South Otago.  He gained a Master of Arts at theUniversity of Otago and became a teacher, reaching the position of Senior assistant at the Whanganui Technical College.  He was keen to join the Army from 1914 but his wife was in bad health and he delayed enlistment until September of 1916.  They had been married just a few months before the outbreak of war.

He was promoted to Lieutenant by the time he sailed with the 16th Reinforcements and was drafted to the 2nd Battalion of the Wellington Regiment.

Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.

The Wellingtons were pushed into the gap in British lines which had been forced by the initial assault of the German Spring Offensive, Operation "Michael," which had been launched on March 21st.  Contact with the enemy was made on the 26th and Douglas' death is recorded by the Official History of the Wellington Regiment:

"The enemy made numerous attacks against the New Zealand line during the day (27th) and, striking against its position about 7 o'clock in the evening, on a front of 1500 yards mid-way between the refinery and Hebuterne, 2nd Wellington was forced to give ground. Hawkes Bay Company (Captain G. H. Hume, M.C.) which had lain in reserve all day, was now called upon to counter-attack. That company advanced shortly before, 9 p.m.; but, hardly had it gone any distance at all, than it ran into a large party of the enemy armed with machine-guns. Hawkes Bay fought well, killing about sixty of the enemy and capturing five machine-guns; but that company's own casualties were heavy, and it was unable to re-establish 2nd Wellington's line, in this counter-attack, three officers of Hawkes Bay Company, viz., Lieuts. J. K. E. Jackson, D. H. Donaldson and E. C. Clifton were, wounded, while earlier in the day, Lieut. D. L. Robertson (Wellington-West Coast Company) had been killed. Altogether 2nd Wellington that day had the following casualties; 4 officers, 69 other ranks."

Douglas was 29 when he died.  His wife's health failed her and she died a month after her husband.