Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Charles jnr was born in Lucknow in 1893. He was the first son of Anna Mine manager Claude Hubert (aka Charles) and Caroline Roberts. A second son, John Francis Roberts, followed in 1895.

The boys were educated at Shadforth Public School; their mother Caroline died when Charles and John were aged just seven and five years of age. In about 1914 Charles and his boys moved to Portland, where Charles snr found work at the Boulder Mine.

On 14 February 1916 Charles and John travelled to Bathurst to enlist in the First World War. At the time Charles was employed by local Portland storekeeper James Loneragan as a carter.

Charles embarked HMAT A40 Ceramic in Sydney 14 April 1916, a private in the 53rd Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement. Private Roberts spent six weeks in Egypt and one month in England before proceeding to France.

On 5 December 1916 Charles was promoted to Lance Corporal, and in April 1917 was recommended for the Military Medal. He undertook a weeks’ training at Muskety School prior to sustaining the wounds that would see him evacuated to England in May 1917.

Lance Corporal Roberts was discharged from hospital on 13 July 1917. He served for a further two months before being invalided home. He arrived in Sydney on 19 November and was discharged from the AIF on Christmas Eve.

Charles returned to Portland after his war service. In 1918 he married Mary Coleman. Charles worked for the Portland Co-op managing the grocery department. He played an active role in the local community; he was an office bearer with the Portland Friendly Society, and in 1925 was accepted as a Justice of the Peace.

Mary passed away July 1931. Charles remained in Portland; his name appears on the on the town’s census for the final time in 1963.

Charles Joseph Roberts Is commemorated on the Shadforth Public School honour roll.

Charles’ brother, John Francis Roberts, was killed in action in France in July 1918.