Name
George Roberts
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/10/1914
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Pioneer/Private
6209
Devonshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE TOURET MEMORIAL
Panel 8 and 9.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Watford Post Office Memorial
Pre War
Son of Henry and Harriet (nee PREEPER) ROBERTS; husband of Florence Rose (nee BARNETT) ROBERTS of Watford.
His parents married 1862 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Henry died 1909 in the Brighton, Sussex, district aged 70.
George was born about 1883 in, apparently, Colchester, Essex, or Colchester, Kent, maybe Chichester, Sussex; but there are no births registered in Colchester or Chichester for a George ROBERTS born c1883. He married 4 November 1913 at St Mary’s, Watford; they had one child. He resided in Watford. Florence never remarried and died 1976 in the Southampton, Hants, district aged 83.
On the 1891 Census, a scholar aged 7 he lived in Brighton, with his mother and four siblings. On the 1901 Census, he is proving elusive. On the 1911 Census, a Private in the 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment aged 28, he was stationed in North Tidworth, Andover, Hants.
Officially recorded as born in Colchester and was living in Watford when he enlisted in Brighton.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Brighton, Sussex; was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 1 September 1914, and was killed in action at Givenchy.
Additional Information
Unfortunately, George’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing. There are articles about George in the Watford Illustrated and the West Herts and Watford Observer both dated 23 January 1915.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
