A capture of Tientsin casualty China Medal 1900, 1 Clasp: Relief of Pekin awarded to Able Seaman L.H. Robertson, H.M.S. Terrible who first saw service in the Boer War during the Relief of Ladysmith from 15th December 1899 to 28th February 1900 including during the action at Tugela Heights from 14th to 27th February 1900. He would go on to see service in China during the Boxer Rebellion where he would suffer a wound to the right knee at Tientsin on 13th July 1900. He would also later see Great War service off of the coast of East Africa aboard H.M.S. Vengeance.
China Medal 1900, 1 Clasp: Relief of Pekin; (L.H.ROBERTSON. A.B., H.M.S. TERRIBLE.)
Condition: Edge-bruise to reverse rim at 6 o’clock and contact wear to the obverse, Very Fine
Lawrence Herbert Cragie Robertson was born at Perth on 22nd April 1881 and giving his occupation as a Millworker joined as a Boy Sailor 2nd Clas on 2nd August 1896, before being advanced to Boy 1st Class on 8th April 1897 whilst serving aboard Caledonia, after a short spell on Boscawen and Pembroke I he would transfer to H.M.S. Terrible on 24th March 1898, where he would be appointed an Ordinary Seaman on 22nd April 1899.
Robertson would see service in South Africa during the Boer War where he would be present in the action at the Tugela Heights from 14th to 27th February 1900, and during the Relief of Ladysmith from 15th December 1899 to 28th February 1900.
He would then go on to see service in China during the Boxer Rebellion where he would take part in the Relief of Pekin, but first he would take part in the assault on Tientsin. The Battle of Tientsin, or the Relief of Tientsin, occurred on 13–14 July 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion in Northern China. A multinational military force, representing the Eight-Nation Alliance, rescued a besieged population of foreign nationals in the city of Tianjin (Postal: Tientsin) by defeating the Chinese Imperial army and Boxers. The capture of Tianjin gave the Eight-Nation Alliance a base to launch a rescue mission for the foreign nationals besieged in the Legation Quarter of Beijing and to capture Beijing. Robertson would suffer a wound to the right knee at Tientsin on 13th July 1900.
He would be pensioned ashore on 8th December 1905 and would join the Royal Fleet Reserve the following day. He would re-enrol on 27th March 1911 and would see service during the Great War aboard H.M.S. Illustrious which acted as a Guard ship during the early stages of the Great War, and then H.M.S. Pekin.
From 16th December 1915, he would serve aboard H.M.S. Vengeance, where he remained until 2 March 1917 being promoted Leading Seaman on 31st January 1917. Vengeance would leave Devonport on 30 December 1915 for a deployment to East Africa. The Royal Navy had begun sending reinforcements to the area in November to support the East African Campaign; on her arrival there, she joined three monitors, two cruisers, two armed merchant vessels, and two gunboats. While there, she supported operations leading to the capture of Dar es Salaam in 1916. In February 1917, Vengeance returned to the United Kingdom and was paid off.
Robertson would be demobilised on 5th June 1921.
