S6495
ROBERTS, Charles Atlay
| Service Number: | 4258 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 September 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Kensington Park, South Australia , 12 September 1887 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Grazier |
| Died: | 9 October 1979, aged 92 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Kent Town Wesleyan Methodist Church WW1 Honour Roll, Kersbrook Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Sep 1915: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan 1916: | Involvement Private, 4258, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Jan 1916: | Embarked Private, 4258, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Borda, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 4258, 50th Infantry Battalion |
Charles Atlay Roberts
NAME: Charles Atlay Roberts
SERVICE NUMBER: 4258
PARENTS: James Roberts and Charlotte Annie Roberts (nee Chamberlain)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Kensington Park
DATE OF BIRTH: 12 September 1887
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT: Adelaide
DATE OF ENLISTMENT: 1 September 1915
AGE AT ENLISTMENT: 27 Years 11 months
MARITAL STATUS: Single
NEXT OF KIN: Father, James Roberts
OCCUPATION: Grazier
RELIGION: Methodist
RANK: Private 10th Battalion
MEMORIALS: Kent Town Wesleyan Methodist Church World War One Roll of Honor; Kersbrook Roll of Honor.
Upon enlisting, Charles trained with D Coy 2nd Depot and joined the 10th Battalion 13th reinforcement. Shortly after transferring to the 50th Battalion, his unit embarked HMAT A30 Borda from Adelaide on 11 November 1915. He was admitted to the 3rd Training Battalion, then joined the 50th Battalion in France, on 5 June 1916.
During action at Bricfields, on the outskirts of Albert, France on 16 August, Charles sustained wounds to the head and arm and was invalided from Rouen to England for treatment at the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Wandsworth and later at the Southern Hospital. He was stationed at Perham Downs Camp on 12 January and No. 2 Camp Depot at Weymouth on 2 March 1917. Charles was sent to the Isolation Hospital at Hurdcott on 20 May to be treated for mumps.
Charles was stationed at Hurdcott Depot, England for the greater part of 1917
He embarked Port Darwin for the journey home to Australia on 11 January 1918 and was discharged on 19 March 1918.
Charles was awarded the 1914/15 Medal, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Source: www.naa; B2455; Roberts.C.A. Barcode 8034354
Submitted 25 September 2023 by christopher collins
Biography contributed by Modbury High School
Charles Atlay Roberts was born in Kensington Park South Australia on the 12th of September in 1887. He was the 6th of 8 children James Roberts and Charlotte Waterhouse brought up. He worked as a grazier in South Australia working with cattle and sheep. It was the first of September 1915 when he enlisted in the war effort from his new address, Towers Court, Victoria Square. He left on the HMAT A30 Borda on the 11th of January 1916 along with 300 other South Australian Soldiers.
He was in the 10th Battalion for a month and then was transferred to the 50th Battalion in strength meaning he was a reinforcement for the 50th Battalion. He arrived in Egypt on the 29th of February 1916 in Egypt to join the 50th Battalion and stayed there until June. The 50th Battalion left Egypt and arrived in France on the 11th of June 1916. Their first battle was on Mouqet Farm from August 13-15, 1916.
Charles Roberts received a severe injury to the head on the 12th of August a day before their assault on the Mouqet Farm. He was deemed medically unfit for battle and was sent to an English hospital two weeks later on the 24th of August. He stayed in the hospital healing until he was sent back to Australia on the 11th of January 1918.
On the 27th of February in 1922 Charles Roberts was married to Marjorie Jobina Nichols who gave birth to their daughter named Margery Atlay Roberts on the 4th of June 1924.
Charles Atlay Roberts according to a newspaper article was robbed in the year 1951. He was robbed of 15 pounds on the T&G corner in King William Street. He was robbed on the 20th of August 1951 and described the man to police as a 35-year-old that was 5’ 10’’ and heavily built.
He passed away on the 7th of October 1979 at the age of 92 and is currently resting in Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena, South Australia.
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