Ham (Hammond Johnson)

Captain Hammond Johnson, M.C.: a fellow McGill Applied Science student who enlisted alongside Robertson in February 1915, per a McGill student newspaper clipping (and a Montreal daily's fuller report of the send-off) announcing the departure of five Science undergraduates for the 21st Artillery. The son of Dr H. D. Johnson of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, he enlisted as a corporal in the 6th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery (regimental no. 85178; his certificate of service types it 85173), was commissioned in January 1916 from the Canadian Artillery Regimental Depot, and served through to demobilization in February 1919 with a string of artillery units (the 6th, 1st and 5th Brigades C.F.A. and the 21st and 1st Batteries), rising to captain and winning the Military Cross (gazetted 18 October 1917). One of Robertson's closest friends throughout his time in England: the two are bunkmates for much of 1915 and remain close into 1916.