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Jul 30, 1883
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Born at Northiam, Sussex
England to Charles and Ellen (nee Wenham) Roberts
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Jun 10, 1913
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Embarked the SS Megantic in
Liverpool
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Jun 18, 1913
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Disembarked in Quebec City,
Quebec and proceeded to Toronto, Ontario
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Jan 10, 1916
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Attested into the 135th
Battalion at London Ontario
Ø Number 802657
Ø Next of kin given
as Charles Roberts (father) of Newenden, Kent, England
Ø Previous occupation
given as Farm Hand
Ø No previous military
experience given
Ø Religion given as
Church of England
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Jun 14, 1916
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Admitted to the London Military
Hospital with a diagnosis that reads Synovitis
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Jul 7, 1916
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Discharged to duty from
hospital
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Jul 9, 1916
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The Battalion moved to Camp
Borden Ontario to continue training
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Jul 31, 1916
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Forfeited 2 days pay for being
absent
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Aug 18, 1916
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Left Camp Borden by train for
Halifax Nova Scotia
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Aug 21, 1916
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Embarked the RMS Olympic at
Halifax Nova Scotia
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Aug 30, 1916
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Disembarked at Liverpool
England and proceeded to the Witley Camp
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Oct 15, 1916
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Transferred to the 116th
Battalion and posted to “D” Company at the Witley Camp
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Dec 10, 1916
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To quote from a letter home on
this date:
“I wish I was going to be with you, but
we will most likely have to spend Xmas in our huts, but we will be better off
then than the other poor fellows in the trenches. I hope that before another
Christmas comes this will all be over, but there is not much sign of it
finishing yet"
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Dec 22, 1916
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Transferred to the 21st
Battalion
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Dec 23, 1916
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Arrived at the CBD (Canadian
Base Depot) at the Rouelles Camp, Le Havre France and TOS (Taken On Strength)
the 21st Battalion
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Jan 21, 1917
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After leaving the base depot,
he joined the 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion in Hersin, France
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Feb 26, 1917
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After leaving the entrenching
battalion, Private Roberts joined the 21st Battalion at front east
of Neuville-Saint Vaast, France
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May 9, 1917
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Private Roberts was killed
while the 21st Battalion was occupying the front line trench east
of Vimy Ridge, near Arleux-en-Gohelle when the enemy opened up with an
artillery barrage in the early morning hours.
He was initially buried at the
South East Corner of Winnipeg Rd and the Arleux Loop trenches, 2 miles East
of the town of Vimy. The Graves
Registration Commission later exhumed the remains and reburied him the
Cabaret Rouge Cemetery
From
the 21st Battalion War Diary
Following his death, the
British War Medal and Victory Medals were sent to Miss E. Lillis Haddock,
friend, Sub P.O. No. 6, London, Ontario.
The Plaque (Dead Man’s Penny) and Scroll were sent to his father,
Charles Roberts, High Park, Northiam, Sussex, England
There was no Memorial Cross
issues as he was single and his mother had pre-deceased him
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