CWGC thanks the Thiepval Database Project for this story. It summarises information held at the Thiepval Visitor Centre.
Robert was born on 15th March 1881 a son of Rev. John MacKerchar (Minister of the Free Church, Avoch, Ross-shire) and Euphemia MacKerchar of 23, Lygon Road, Edinburgh.
He was educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh which he left in 1898.
He enlisted in January 1915 in 2/4th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders. He was reported as being promoted to Lance Corporal and Corporal in 1915.
Robert died on 23rd October 1916, aged 35, while in the front line at Prue Trench, a communication trench in the sector between Pozières and Le Sars. The work was strenuous and dangerous, involving holding the line, digging, and suffering casualties from enemy action, including shelling and trench-mortar attacks.
Robert was one of many casualties that month, he has no known grave and is commemorated on Pier and Face 15B of the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on The Somme. He is also commemorated on the Avoch War Memorial.
Support Our Charitable Foundation
Your donation helps us deliver projects like For Evermore, which educate and inspire future generations to remember those who gave their lives in the two World Wars. With your support, we can keep their stories alive and ensure they are never forgotten.
As well as making a donation today, you might also consider leaving a gift in your will to the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation. Legacy gifts, large or small, help us preserve this vital heritage for generations to come.
Thank you for helping us honour their memory so we can tell Every Story. For evermore.
