Biography of Private John Robert Roberts (29258)
1st Garrison Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby) Regiment
Died 26th November 1915

Soldier

  • Name: John Robert Roberts
  • Date of birth: 1889
  • Place of Birth: Belmesthorpe, Rutland, England
  • Date of Birth Registration: July – September 1889
  • Place of Birth Registration: Stamford, Lincolnshire, England

Father

  • Name: William Roberts
  • DOB: About 1858
  • Place of Birth: Ryhall, Rutland, Endland
  • Occupation: General Labourer

Mother

  • Name: Lilian Walpole
  • DOB: 1874
  • Place Of Birth: Northorpe, Lincolnshire, England
  • Marriage: 4th April 1889, Ryhall, Rutland, England

Siblings: (Name), (DOB), (POB)

  • John Robert Roberts, 1889, Belmesthorpe
  • Alfred Walpole Roberts, 1896, Hull
  • Patrick Higgins Robers, 1898, Hull (Died 1898)
  • Annie Rudkin Roberts, 1908, Thurlby (Died 1911)
  • George Rudkin Roberts, 1910, Thurlby (Died 1910)

Census

  • 1891: John is living with his grandmother in Belmesthorpe, Rutland.
  • 1901: John is living with his grandmother in Ryall, Rutland
  • 1911: John is living with his mother in Thurlby. The census gives him an age of 21 and he is listed as a farm labourer.
Relatives in services

  • None found

Marriage

 

  • No marriage for John has been found and because of his age we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

  • The Standard Friday 24th December 1915
    ROLL OF HONOUR
    INDEX TO CASUALTY LIST
    The following Index has been compiled to facilitate reference to the regiments included in the Casualty List of N.C.O.s and men.
    The figured in the Index indicate the paragraphs in the Casualty List in which the losses of the respective regiments are set out, the paragraphs being numbered consecutively.  For example, the figures 1. 16, 48, 96 against the name of a regimnt in the Index would indicate that particulars of that regiment’s losses are to be found in the paragraphs correspondingly numbered in the Casualty List.
    MEDITERRANEAN FORCE
    Reported under various dates:-
    Accidentally Killed.
    160 – SHERWOOD FORESTERS, 1st GARRISON BN, Roberts, 29258 J. R.

 

  • Sheffield Daily Telegraph Friday 24th December 1915
    N.C.O.’S AND MEN.
    {Except when otherwise stated the names in these lists are to be read as Privates
    Expeditionary Force.
    The following casualties amongst non-commissioned officers and men of the Expeditionary Force, are reported from the Base under date 14th December, 1915:-
    ACCIDENTALLY KILLED
    SHERWOOD FORESTERS, 1st GARRISON BATT. Roberts (29258), J. R.

 

  • Derby Daily Telegraph Friday 24th December 1915
    SHERWOOF CASUALTIES
    Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, reported under various dates:-
    ACCIDENTALLY KILLED
    1st Sherwoods (Garrison Battalion).
    Private J. R. Roberts (29258)

 

  • Lincolnshire Free Press. 26th January 1916
    THURLBY SOLDIER KILLED
    Pte. J. Roberts, of the Notts, and Derby Regiment, of Thurlby, who was accidentally killed recently at Suvla, in his trench by the falling of the roof which was covered with earth. Eight other soldiers were reported killed at the same time, and twelve other men injured. Pte.Roberts was well known in the village, and had only been in the regions of Suvla about three weeks.

 

  • Stamford Mercury (Date unknown)
    THURLBY
    ACCIDENTALLY KILLED AT THE DARDANELLES.
    Mrs. Rudkin of Crown Lane, has received official intimation that her son Pte. J. Roberts, was accidentally killed whilst with the Mediterranean Force.  Deceased had been in the service of Mr. J. E. Noble, boring contractor.  Sad to relate, he had only been in the region of the accident three weeks, and upon his dead body was found a letter written to his mother, stating “that he was well up to the present, and that he hoped it would not be long before he could see them again.”  Much sympathy has been expressed with the relatives.  A sympathetic letter has been received from deceased’s Captain, who states that Priv. Roberts was killed in his trench on Nov. 26th by the falling in of the roof. There were eight others killed at the same time and 12 injured.  They were all buried at West Beach Cemetery and a cross erected to each man. The melancholy accident cast a gloom over all their comrades.

Military Records

Attestation Papers

  • None found

Soldier’s Died In The Great War

  • These records show that Private John Robert Roberts, 29258, 1st Garrison Bn Notts and Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment was killed in action on 26th November 1915 in the Eqyptian Theatre

Pension Records

  • Available

Effects Left To

  • Not to recharge (not sure what this means)

Medals

  • The British Medal
  • The Victory Medal
  • The 15 Star

Memorials

  • UK:
  • Thrulby, Roll of Honour in St Firmins Church

 

  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
  • In memory of Private J R Roberts, 29258, 1st (Garr) Bn., Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) who died on 26 November 1915 Age 25
  • Son of Lilian Rudkin (formerly Roberts), of Crown Lane, Thurlby, Bourne, Lincs, and the late William Roberts.
  • Remembered with honour, Hill 10 Cemetery
  • Grave I. A. 14.

© The War Graves Photographic Project

© The War Graves Photographic Project

Military Service Timeline

  • This is ongoing research and will be posted when completed

Sources

  • WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
  • British Newspaper Archive.
  • Fold 3
  • Find My Past
  • Genealogist
  • Forces War Records
  • British Army Service Numbers
  • War Gratuity Calculator
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  • National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
  • General Registry Office