Captain Patrick Maitland Robertson-Ross was the eldest son of Patrick Robertson-Ross, and the grandson of Major General Patrick Robertson-Ross. On the outbreak of the First World War he joined the British Army and the following month was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment. He was posted to the 8th battalion, a newly raised service battalion made up of volunteers who had responded to Kitchener’s call in August 1914. The 8th QORWK were part of the 72nd Brigade, attached to the 24th Division.Over the next year the men of the 8th QORWK trained for war. Like the other service battalions the battalion had almost no experienced soldiers within its ranks and was commanded by a Colonel who had retired several years before. In November 1914 Patrick was promoted to lieutenant and in January 1915 to captain. By August 1915 he was second in command of D company.
In August 1915 the Division was posted to France and attached to XI Corps. Planning was already underway for a campaign around the French mining town of Loos and XI Corps was allocated to the reserves; troops who would be put into battle after the initial assault to exploit the gains made by the forward units. As was so often the case in war; the plan did not survive contact with the enemy. On the 26th September 1915, in their first action, the 8th QORWK suffered enormous casualties. Of its twenty five officers fourteen were killed, five seriously injured and taken prisoner and five wounded. Only one was unscathed. Patrick was one of only three whose deaths were witnessed by survivors. Consequently he was listed as killed in action rather than missing. His mother, Sophy Robertson-Ross, did not receive notification until six days later
.Telegram received by Sophy Robertson-Ross Oct 2nd
I deeply regret to inform you that 2nd Lt. Robertson-Ross R West Kent Regt. was killed in action Sept 25/27. Lord Kitchener expresses his sympathy.
Of course, by now Patrick was a Captain and one wonders if his mother’s first, brief, hope was that he had been confused with somebody else. Clearly this was not the case; the name ‘Robertson-Ross’ was too uncommon and the regiment and battalion correct. The telegram had simply got the details wrong. The next day she wrote to the War office.
From Sophy Robertson-Ross to the Military Secretary at the War Office
Oct 3rd 1915
Dear Sir,
I last night received the official telegram notifying to me that my son captain P.M. Robertson-Ross had been killed in action 25/27. I note in the telegram they misstated him as second lieutenant. He was gazetted captain last January. Will you kindly see this error is corrected at once in the official report, and that it is put in correctly in the Roll of Honour list as Captain P M Robertson-Ross.
I would also be so very grateful if you could give me any details as to his death. I have had no news at all except from telegrams. I am most anxious for any information I can get.
Yours very truly
Mrs. Sophy Robertson-Ross
Four days later she received a reply.
From the Military Secretary (War Office) to Sophy Robertson-Ross
8th Oct 1915
The Military Secretary presents his compliments to Mrs. Robertson-Ross and in reply to her letter of October 3rd, begs to inform her that there are no details yet concerning the death of her son, Captain P M Robertson-Ross, and any information that is received will at once be communicated to her.
On the same day she wrote to the war office, Sophy wrote to a Mr. Tennant, who appears from the letter to have assisted Sophy in arranging for Patrick to have been commissioned into the Royal West Kent Regiment the previous September.
From Sophy Robertson-Ross to Mr. Tennant
3rd Oct 1915
I had an official telegram stating that my son Captain P M Robertson-Ross had been killed in action 25/27. Do you think it is possible for you to get for me any further details of his death? I would be so grateful if you could. You will remember you kindly arranged his appointment to his Regiment, the 8th Royal West Kent Regiment for me.
I see in his official wire they put 2nd Lt. P M Robertson-Ross. He was gazetted Captain last January. Would you kindly see that his name and rank is put correctly in his official announcement in the papers.
Always yours truly
Sophy Robertson-Ross
Tennant replied, although it is not clear when, as the filed duplicate is neither addressed nor dated.
Copy of letter presumably from Mr. Tennant to Sophy Robertson-Ross
Dear Mr. Robertson-Ross (sic) I am deeply grieved to hear that your poor son has been killed in action, and I offer to you my sincere sympathy. I am afraid we may never get any particulars of his death, and I would suggest that you write to some of his brother officers. I will see that his name and rank are put correctly in the official announcement in the papers.
In fact most of Patrick's brother officer's had been either killed in action alongside him, captured by the Germans or invalided back to Britain as casualties
Several months later the following letter was sent by the Red Cross with information which was clearly meant to be passed on to the family.
18th March 1916. (On Red Cross note paper)
We beg to send you a report which we think you would wish to see, as though it offers no fresh information, it has a very good tribute to the memory of Captain Robertson-Ross.
Pte. G Gibbons, 3428, 8th R W Kents, in hospital abroad states:-
"Captain Robertson-Ross was next in command to Major Chillingworth and a very brave man.
My intimate friend, Davis, D Coy, 8th Battn, who is a Welshman like myself, and who is now attached to the signaling section, told me that Captain Robertson-Ross led them to the barbed wire and they lay down while he tried to scramble through and was killed by what he thought was an explosive bullet.
Davis was most emphatic about the glorious leading of Captain Robertson-Ross. He said it was an honour to be led by such a man."
Yours faithfully
For Sir Louis Mallet
Some of those initially reported as killed in action turned out to have survived (including the commanding officer, Colonel Vansittart), raising hopes that Patrick may have been among them. Sophy appears to have pinned some hope in this being the case. At the time the Americans were still neutral and Sophy appears to have lobbied for the US ambassador to make enquiries as to whether Patrick might still be alive.
Oct 31st 1916 (On Foreign Office notepaper, the recipient is unknown) Dear Sir With reference to your letter to Mr. Drummond respecting Capt. Robertson-Ross, I have written to Sir Francis Blake and informed him that you had no reason whatever to believe that Captain Ross (sic) was not killed, and that enquiries therefore through the American Ambassador could serve no useful purpose. In the circumstances it does not appear necessary for you to write to Mrs. Ross Yours very truly C.F.Dormer
and
From the Hon. Eric Drummond 29th Oct 1916 Dear Sir, I am writing you a private line regarding the case of Captain Robertson-Ross, as I see that Lord Grey has endorsed the enclosed letter. We hardly think it would be right to begin the practice of putting the names of killed officers on the missing list. For one reason the German authorities might rightly complain of the list being unduly swelled in this manner: for another it is a questionable kindness to give encouragement in such a manner to groundless hopes. It is quite true that Col. Vansittart was reported killed and afterwards turned up as a Prisoner of War, but we feel absolutely certain that if Captain Robertson-Ross had been a prisoner, he would long since have written to his relations. Would you like us to write direct to Mrs. Robertson-Ross on the matter, giving our reasons in official form, or would you like to tell Sir Francis Blake yourself? Yours faithfully, (unsigned)
The body of Patrick Robertson-Ross was never recovered. Around half the British soldiers killed on the Western Front have no known grave and Patrick is among them. He is remembered on panel 95-97 at the Loos Memorial.
From the service file of Patrick Maitland Robertson-Ross, held at the National Archives, reference WO 339/25450
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