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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 674

Pair: Captain A. Robertson, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, who formerly served with British Forces in the South African War as a civil surgeon and was the only civilian in French's march to Kimberley

Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, South Africa 1901 (A. Robertson.); British War Medal 1914-20 (3/1358 Capt. A. Robertson N.Z.E.F.), the first a late issue with replacement non-swivel suspender, the second with officially re-impressed naming, bearing a partially erased '1' before the service number, very fine (2)

Alexander Robertson was born on 22 October 1870 at Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Dr. Alexander Robertson, senior physician at the Glasgow Infirmary and Professor of Medical Services at Glasgow University. His father had charge of one of the mental hospitals and had a wide reputation for the treatment of insanity; he was one of the first to introduce the classification of patients and their treatment as 'ailing people' rather than prisoners.

Alexander was educated at Glasgow University, qualifying Doctor of Medicine, before taking a role with the British Civil Service in the Gilbert & Solomon Islands; it was here that he wrote a treatise on tropical disease. In November 1899, Robertson was appointed Civil Surgeon to S.A. Field Forces and was attached to No. 5 General Hospital, followed by the 2nd Mounted Infantry, and later, the Highland Brigade.

Settling in Wellington after the war, he married Elizabeth Waters and raised a family. With the outbreak of the Great War, Robertson attested to the N.Z.E.F. at Wellington on 19 November 1915, and examined recruits for the medical board; he later served overseas aboard the hospital ship Marama, before being relieved of duty on 12 June 1916, his service record noting, 'urgently required in Auckland on account of family reasons'. He continued to serve at home and was posted to the N.Z. Army Service Corps from 9 November 1925, retiring on 9 August 1927.

On 19 February 1930, Robertson applied for a replacement Q.S.A. Medal with 4 clasps, declaring 'all these medals and miniatures have been lost or stolen'. His request for the first was approved at a cost of 13 shillings and sixpence. He died on 4 June 1937.


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