Address to Sir William Robertson, ca 1916

B 1571

fonds

1916

Textual Records, Objects

1122615

0.4 metres of textual material (1 volume)

Sir William Robertson (1860-1933) holds the unusual distinction of being the only man to rise from Private to Field Marshal rank in the British army.
Robertson was appointed Quartermaster-General of Sir John French's British Expeditionary Force (BEF), a post he took up with his sailing to Boulogne on 14 August. The following January Robertson switched posts, receiving an appointment as Chief of the General Staff, a position he retained until 1918 (renamed in December 1915 as Chief of the Imperial General Staff, receiving a promotion to Lieutenant-General in October 1915).

(Source: http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/robertson.htm)

1. The Address
To General Sir William Robertson. The socks are presented to you knitted by the undersigned ladies of the Lower Clarence River N.S.W. For the privilege of working on them small sums have been collected amounting to nine pounds, 2 shillings. This amount has been handed to the Funds of the Edith Cavell Memorial Rest-house for Trained nurses in New South Wales.

2. Rising Sun Badge of the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces.

3. Small bronze plate with inscription: "This address was mounted by a mere man, for a mighty man, as a mark of his esteem for General Sir William Robertson. Christmas 1916.

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Information transferred from Manuscripts Index Catalogue as part of the eRecords Project, 2013-2014

Note inside old container: "The address accompanied a gift of socks knitted by ladies of the Lower Clarence River N.S.W. during the First World War. The address is undated but a small metal plate which was fixed to the back of a frame for the address is dated 1916. In January 1960 the address in its frame was handed to the Agent General for New South Wales in London by the Agent General for Victoria, Sir William Leggatt".