Vernon Robertson

Early life and military service

Robertson was born in 1890 at Calcutta in India. After studying at Dover College and Crystal Palace School of Practical Engineering, he was articled to D. Gravell between 1909 and 1912 before joining the South Eastern and Chatham Railway.

During World War I, he served with London Scottish as a non-commissioned officer before being commissioned in the Royal Engineers. He served with the British Expeditionary Force in France between 1915 and 1919 and was mentioned twice in dispatches, awarded the Military Cross in 1917 and Bar in 1918.

Later career

After leaving the army he held numerous positions in the railway industry, including positions with Great Eastern and London and North Eastern Railways, before becoming Chief Civil Engineer (1938–40) and then Engineer-in-Chief (1940–43) to the London Passenger Transport Board. He was appointed CBE in 1943 for his contribution to London transport during World War II. In 1944 he became Chief Civil Engineer to the Southern Railway Company, the Southern Region of British Railways post-nationalisation, until his retirement in 1951. Subsequently, he was a partner and then consultant to Sir William Halcrow and Partners until 1964.

He became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1919, was elected a fellow in 1930 and served as president for the November 1949 to November 1950 session. He was also a fellow and president of the Permanent Way Institution, vice-president of the Institution of Transport, a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Institution of Electrical Engineers, an honorary fellow of the Society of Engineers and an honorary member of the American Railway Engineering Association. Additionally, he was a member and in 1957 president of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers.

As part of the Territorial Army, Robertson was commanding officer of the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps until 1 January 1956, having been appointed Colonel in 1940.