ROEBUCK, Albert Kenneth
| Service Number: | 977 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 March 1915, An original member of D Company |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 24th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 7 March 1893 |
| Home Town: | Geelong, Greater Geelong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Geelong College, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Chemist |
| Died: | Killed in action, France, 5 August 1916, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Geelong College WW1 Roll of Honour, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 977, 24th Infantry Battalion, An original member of D Company | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 May 1915: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 977, 24th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 10 May 1915: | Embarked Lance Corporal, 977, 24th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Melbourne | |
| 5 Aug 1916: | Involvement Sergeant, 977, 24th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 977 awm_unit: 24 Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1916-08-05 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Albert Kenneth Roebuck was the son of of Henry Gilson and Catherine Jane Roebuck of Geelong, Victoria. He studied at Geelong College from 1905 to 1910. Prior to his enlistment he was an Analytical Chemist in the Colonial Sugar Refinery’s works in Melbourne.
Albert’s older brother, 1246 Pte. Francis Henry Roebuck, 18th Battalion AIF was killed in action at Hill 60, Gallipoli, 22 August 1915.
Albert arrived on Gallipoli with the 24th Battalion at the end of August 1915. He was wounded there on 4 December 1915 and evacuated to Egypt with shrapnel wounds to his legs and side.
When he recovered Albert went with the 24th Battalion to France and took part in a big raid on the enemy trenches on the 29 June 1916. Soon after he was promoted to Sergeant. He was then reported as missing in action at Pozieres on 5 August 1916.
One of his mates reported to the Red Cross Information Bureau, “On the morning of 5th August, we went over in a charge and Sgt Roebuck was with us. I lost sight of him in the rush, but a man of my platoon (since killed) reported after we came out of the trenches that he had seen Roebuck lying killed - he was positive he was killed. The reason that this evidence was not accepted at the Court of Enquiry was that the man who saw his body, had since been killed and therefore the evidence was second-hand, which the Court will not accept. Pte Frank Law left Australia with Roebuck and had been his tent mate - was really a mate of his.”
His death was not confirmed for another 13 months, in September 1917. Like his brother, his remains were never found.
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