William Robertson (British Army Officer) - Early Life

Early Life

Born the son of Thomas Charles Robertson and Ann Dexter Robertson (née Beet), "Wully" Robertson was educated at the local church school and began his military career in November 1877, leaving his post as a servant in the Earl of Cardigan’s household to enlist - five months underage - for twelve years as a private in the 16th (The Queen's) Lancers. He recorded his mother's horror in his autobiography: “You know you are the Great Hope of the Family … if you do not like Service you can do something else … there are plenty of things Steady Young Men can do when they can write and read as you can … I shall name it to no one for I am ashamed to think of it ... I would rather bury you than see you in a red coat." On his first night he was so horrified by the rowdiness of the barrack room that he contemplated deserting, only to find that his civilian clothes, which had been parcelled up but not yet sent home, had already been stolen by another deserter.

As a young soldier Robertson was noted for his prowess at running, and for his voracious reading of military history. He won company first prizes for sword, lance and shooting. He was promoted to troop sergeant major in 1885 to fill a vacancy as his predecessor, a former medical student serving in the ranks, had been demoted for making a botch of the regimental accounts and later committed suicide. Encouraged by his officers, and the clergyman of his old parish, he passed an examination for an officer's commission and was posted as a second lieutenant in the 3rd Dragoon Guards on 27 June 1888. Normally only four or five rankers were commissioned each year at that time.

Robertson later recorded that it would have been impossible to live as a cavalry subaltern in Britain, where £300 a year was needed in addition to the £120 official salary (approximately £30,000 and £12,000 at 2010 prices) to keep up the required lifestyle; he was reluctant to leave the cavalry, but his Regiment was deployed to India, where pay was higher and expenses lower than in the UK. Robertson's father made his uniforms and he economised by drinking water with meals and not smoking, as pipes were not permitted in the mess and he could not afford the cigars which officers were expected to smoke. Robertson supplemented his income by studying with native tutors whilst others slept during the hot afternoons, qualifying as an interpreter - for which officers received cash grants - in Urdu, Hindi, Persian, Pashto, Punjabi and Gurkhali. Promoted to lieutenant on 1 March 1891, he was appointed an attaché in the Intelligence Branch of the Quartermaster-General's Department in India on 5 June 1892 and was then promoted to captain on 3 April 1895.

He took part in the Chitral Expedition as a field intelligence officer in 1895 and was described by Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Low, the Expedition Commander as "a very active and intelligent officer of exceptional promise". He was present at the Siege of Malakand (3 April 1895). However, he was wounded when he was attacked by his two guides on a narrow mountain path when on a reconnaissance mission. One guide was armed with a shotgun and fired at Robertson but missed. The other guide was armed with a sword but Robertson punched him to the ground then drove off both attackers with his revolver; one was wounded and later captured and executed. The incident was reported and illustrated in the Daily Graphic and Robertson was awarded the DSO.

He attended Staff College at Camberley in 1897 as the first former ranker to go there, nominated by the Commander-in-Chief, India. In order to attend Camberley he had to rise between 4 and 5am each day to master mathematics, German and French - he later qualified as an interpreter in the latter. Under Henderson he absorbed the principles, derived from Jomini, Clausewitz, and Edward Hamley’s Operations of War (1866), of concentration of physical and moral force and the destruction of the main enemy army. He passed out second from Staff College in December 1898 and was then seconded for service in the Intelligence Department at the War Office on 1 April 1899. As a staff captain he was the junior of two officers in the Colonial (later renamed Imperial) section.