Private Robert Porteous was born on November 2nd, 1885 in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. When war broke out he was living and working as a blacksmith in Churchville, and on Dec. 11th, 1915 at the age of 30 he joined the 126th Battalion. Porteous was one of the very few villagers to have any previous military experience leading up to WW1, having spent 3.5 years with the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. Private Porteous had a number of tattoos on his arms, including  one showing hands across the sea, an anchor, a stag, and the word Unitas (Latin for Unity) on his right arm, and Buffalo Bill, and a heart on his left arm; he had grey eyes and black hair. Robert listed his parents as both deceased, and his next of kin was his sister, Mrs. Mary Croll back in Alloa Scotland.

             Porteous had quite the start to his time with the 126th Battalion, being docked what looks in his records to be 168 hours pay for the offense of drunkenness before the battalion even set sail from Canada. During his time at war, Private Porteous’ home address changes from Churchville to Cochrane, Ontario, and then to Mulvihill, Manitoba. Porteous also seems to have gotten married during the war, as his enlistment documents refer to him as single, but on August 1st, 1916 his pay starts being sent to Mrs. Sarah A. Porteous, Wife, in Brampton, Ontario (and soon after that to her in Cochrane, Ontario). And at the end of the war, he filled out a will saying he bequeaths everything to Mrs. R. Porteous in Cochrane, Ontario (oddly, he also wrote across the top of the will that he didn’t actually want to make a will). Robert was repeatedly treated in hospitals and field ambulances for what appears to be issues with his digestive system and possibly his eyes. 

             After all this though, he was awarded a “Good Conduct Badge” from the 1st Canadian General Hospital in August of 1918.  On his discharge in May 1919, he was also given a Class A badge for Service at the Front (source: Library & Archives Canada).