Charles Henry Roberts


Jul 30, 1883

Born at Northiam, Sussex England to Charles and Ellen (nee Wenham) Roberts

 

Jun 10, 1913

Embarked the SS Megantic in Liverpool

 

 

Jun 18, 1913

Disembarked in Quebec City, Quebec and proceeded to Toronto, Ontario

 

Jan 10, 1916

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

 

Jun 14, 1916

Admitted to the London Military Hospital with a diagnosis that reads Synovitis

 

Jul 7, 1916

Discharged to duty from hospital

 

Jul 9, 1916

The Battalion moved to Camp Borden Ontario to continue training

 

Jul 31, 1916

Forfeited 2 days pay for being absent

 

Aug 18, 1916

Left Camp Borden by train for Halifax Nova Scotia

 

Aug 21, 1916

Embarked the RMS Olympic at Halifax Nova Scotia

 

 

Aug 30, 1916

Disembarked at Liverpool England and proceeded to the Witley Camp

 

Oct 15, 1916

Transferred to the 116th Battalion and posted to “D” Company at the Witley Camp

 

Dec 10, 1916

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"

 

Dec 22, 1916

Transferred to the 21st Battalion

 

Dec 23, 1916

Arrived at the CBD (Canadian Base Depot) at the Rouelles Camp, Le Havre France and TOS (Taken On Strength) the 21st Battalion

 

Jan 21, 1917

After leaving the base depot, he joined the 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion in Hersin, France

 

Feb 26, 1917

After leaving the entrenching battalion, Private Roberts joined the 21st Battalion at front east of Neuville-Saint Vaast, France

 

May 9, 1917

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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