Thomas 'Tom' Hood Robertson was the son of Robert and Helen Spiers Robertson (nee Hood) of Glasgow. He was born on the 17 October 1912. In October 1939. Thomas enlisted in the Royal Army Service Corps. As he had a
driver's license, he drove lorries through France to take troops and supplies to the front. During the evacuations at Dunkirk Tom Robertson drove to the west coast port of St Nazaire to sail to Britain. The ship next to his (The Lancastria) was hit with a bomb down each funnel and she sank with 3,000 lives lost out of the 5,000 men onboard.

Between July and November 1940 Tom trained in the UK before being posted to the Middle East taking part in the Syrian Campaign as part of “Operation Exporter” which involved overthrowing the French garrison loyal to Vichy France and raising the Free French flag over Beirut and Damascus. Tom continued to drive supplies as far as Basra near the Persian Gulf and Baghdad.

In 1942 Tom began training at Karbrit on Course K33 to train for the Parachute Regiment in readiness for action in Italy. After the conquest of Sicily in June 1943, Tom Robertson was amongst the second British landing at Taranto as part of Operation Slapstick.” A member of the British1st Airborne Division, he entered Taranto harbour witnessing the Italian fleet sail to Malta with their guns pointing down towards the water displaying white flags as an act of surrender.  
On home leave over Christmas in 1943 he married his sweetheart, Jean Sinclair.

On 17 September 1944, as part of Operation Market Garden, now L/Cpl Tom Robertson, HQ Company, 156 Parachute Battalion, 4th Parachute Brigade, 1st Airborne Division left his billet at Staveley Lodge, Melton Mowbray and departed
from the Aerodrome at Barkston Heath near Grantham. Transported to Arnhem in Dakota DC47s by USAAF crews, he was one of 16 pathfinders under the command of Major Michael Page. They parachuted in west of Oosterbeek and tasked with preparing a drop zone on the Ginkel Heath for the arrival of the rest of the Battalion the following day. 

Major Page was tragically killed in action on 20 September 1944, along with three other brave men that were on the aircraft with Tom on the 17 September 1944. Tom was captured on 23 September 1944 and sent to Stalag XII A. On 11 October 1944 he was transferred to Stalag IV B where he remained for the rest of the war.

Tom returned home to Glasgow after the war to meet his now 6-month-old son, Alan Hood, for the first time. He left the regular Army to join the Reserves 16 February 1946. Tom died 25 July 1968 at his home in Hyndland Road, Glasgow.

Operations: Italy, Arnhem

Service history: 15/10/1939 – 15/06/1942, Private, RASC. 15/06/1942 – 31/05/1945, Lance Corporal, 156 Parachute Battalion

Published with information kindly supplied by Andrew Robertson