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Robertson of Oakridge
Arms: Gules two swords crossed in saltire Argent hilted and pommeled Or points in base between two wolves’ heads erased Argent in fess and in chief a sun in splendour and in base a fleur de lis both Or, ; in dexter chief a baronet’s shield.

SOURCE/NOTES & CREDITS: Both the blazon and illustration for background are from Wikipedia, the text is adapted from the Wikipedia articles. The arms granted to Field Marshal Sir William Robert Robertson, 1st Bt. have continued to be used by the Robertsons of Oakridge.

A Robertson dynasty

Field Marshal Sir William Robert Robertson, 1st Bt. GCB, etc. (1860-1933) a senior British Army officer, who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CGIS) for much of WW1 (Dec 1915-Feb 1918).

He was born in Welbourn, Lincolnshire, England, the son of Thomas Charles Robertson, a tailor and postmaster of Scottish ancestry, and Ann Dexter Robertson (née Beet). He began his military career in November 1877 by enlisting for twelve years as a trooper ( Private) in the 16th (The Queen's) Lancers. He rose through the ranks, was commissioned and eventually became Chief of the Imperial General Staff and a Field Marshal. He was thanked by Parliament, granted £10,000 and was created a baronet on 29 Dec 1919 as Robertson of Beaconsfield, 1st Baronet, in the County of Buckingham.

Sir Wm. Robertson, Bt. is the only soldier in the history of the British Army to have risen from an enlisted rank to its highest rank of Field Marshal.

Sir William died on 12 Feb 1933, age 73.

He was succeeded by his son, Sir Brian Hubert Robertson, 2nd Bt.,
AND 1st Baron Robertson of Oakridge, (1896-1974) GCB, KCVO, DSO, MC
etc.

The only son of Field Marshal Sir William Robertson, he was educated at Charterhouse and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in November 1914, and served on the Western Front and Italian Front during the First World War. He was awarded a Military Cross in 1918 and the Distinguished Service Order in 1919.

He continued his army career but retired in 1934 and entered civilian life to manage the Dunlop Rubber factory in South Africa.

In Nov 1939 he volunteered to rejoin the Army but was rejected as being too old by the War Office ? He then volunteered to join the South African Army and was commissioned as a Lt. Col. in Feb 1940. He proved extremely effective in logistics for the SA Army in support of the British Army in the Libyan area, so much so that the CIC Middle East, General Sir Claude Auchinleck personally asked for his transfer to the British Army and got him transferred. The Second Battle of El Alamein loomed and he counted on Robertson for his logistical expertise and efficiency and was not disappointed. Robertson was named Major General and given the CBE.

As the war moved on he was moved to Italy, again doing a great job and on 20 July he was made a KCVO by King George VI there on a visit. After the end of WW2 in Europe in July 1945, Robertson was moved to Germany to become FM Montgomery’s Chief of Staff. He recommended the Berlin Airlift to US Gen. Lucius Clay. Robertson by now was a full general.

In 1950 Robertson became CIC of Middle East Land Forces. Robertson was also an aide-de-camp to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II from 1949 to June 1952. He was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Engineers from 1950 to 1953. In 1953, he retired from the Army, and upon the recommendation of Sir Winston Churchill, was made Chairman of the British Transport Commission, in which position he stayed until his retirement in 1961.

In the 1961 Birthday Honours, he was raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Robertson of Oakridge, of Oakridge in the County of Gloucester.

Lord Robertson died on 29 April 1974, at age 77 and was succeeded by his son, William Ronald Robertson ( 1930-2009 ) as 2nd Baron who died in 2009

He was succeeded by his son William Brian Elworthy Robertson ( 1975-date) as 3rd Baron and current lord.

As far as we know the Robertsons of Oakridge were/are the only hereditary Robertson peers in the United Kingdom.

The artwork is an interpretation by John Hamilton Gaylor.

2021 0707

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Sunset_on_the_Firth_of_Forth.jpg Lord_Robertson_of_Port_Ellen_s_stall_plate_jpg_SM.jpg Robertson_Lord_2.jpg White_DV_No_044.jpg Woodcock.jpg
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