Name
John William Roberts
4 June 1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/05/1917
29
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sergeant
11127
Leicestershire Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Baldock Town Memorial, Chesterton War Memorial, Staffordshire
Pre War
John William Roberts was born on 4 June 1888 in Wolstanton, Staffordshire, the son of John and Lilian Roberts.
On the 1891 Census the family were living in Church Street, Chesterton (nr Wolstanton) where his father was employed as a wire worker. They remained there in 1901 and were living at No. 10 Church Street, Chesterton.
He married Elizabeth Annie Platt in 1909 at Chesterton, Staffordshire and on the 1911 Census they were living at 8 Church Street, Chesterton with their daughter Annie, born 1910, and grandmother Ann Hikin, an 88 year old widow. They had a further two children, John William, b. 1912 and Horace Robert b. 1 Feb 1915. John was then working as a collier.
When John enlisted he was 25 years old and living at 73 York Street, Basford, Staffordshire.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire on 27 August 1914 and served with the Leicestershire Regiment, 7th Battalion, serving in France from 29 July 1915.
He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 3 June 1915, but was later deprived of his stripe due to misconduct. He suffered from influenza in November 1915 and was repatriated to England on Hospital Ship SS Newhaven in December 1915.
In June 1916 he left Folkestone to re-join the expeditionary force and joined them in the field on 22 June 1916, being appointed Lance Corporal, then Corporal in October 1916 followed by Acting Sergeant in November 1916.
He was killed in action on 2 May 1917 but has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £15 10s and pay owing of £5 7s 9d. Pension cards exist giving both his widow, Mrs Elizabeth Annie Roberts, and his mother, Mrs Lilian Elizabeth Roberts, as dependants.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson
