Sapper Robert Niven Main was born in Burghead, Morayshire, Scotland on November 14, 1882 and emigrated to Canada in 1910.

Main, a carpenter by trade, enlisted in Vancouver, British Columbia on February 15, 1916 with the Canadian Engineers and arrived in England aboard the SS Baltic on May 29, 1916.  He proceeded to France in August of 1916 where he served with the 6th and the 12th Field Company Canadian Engineers.  As a result of action at Passchendaele in October 1917, he was diagnosed with neurasthenia (shell shock) and treated in Scotland and England during 1918.  Main returned to Canada and was discharged as medically unfit in Vancouver on March 15, 1919.

Content notes:
The collection consists of fourteen drawings done by Main of scenes from the Western Front.  They were drawn on cardboard packing liners 5 inches by 7 inches in size.

External link:
Sapper Robert Main’s service record (Serv/Reg# 504778) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.