ROBERTS, Errol Edward Vivian
| Service Number: | 994 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 December 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Dublin, Mallala, South Australia, 20 June 1893 |
| Home Town: | Mile End, City of West Torrens, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter |
| Died: | Natural Causes, 13 October 1980, aged 87 years, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, Mallala Grace Plains Sunday School Pictorial Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 994, 43rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 994, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Jun 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 994, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Battle of Messines | |
| 11 Jul 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 994, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Warneton | |
| 31 Jul 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 994, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres | |
| 31 Jul 1917: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, Warneton, For actions in the 43rd Battalion attack near Warneton, when, after his platoon leadership became casualties along with many in the platoon, he re-organised his men and those of an adjacent platoon whose leaders had also become casualties, to attain their main objective. | |
| 13 Oct 1917: | Wounded Lance Sergeant, 994, 43rd Infantry Battalion, 1st Passchendaele, Gassed near Passchendaele evacuated to the UK for treatment and convalescence RTU April 1918 | |
| 21 Sep 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 994, 43rd Infantry Battalion, "The Last Hundred Days", Returned from the UK having been hospitalised since June 1918 suffering from influenza | |
| 14 Aug 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 994, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HQ 4MD Keswick Barracks |
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Born at Dublin Mallala on 20 June 1893.
Son of Edward Samuel ROBERTS and Amy Ellen nee TURNER
By the time he enlisted on 6 December 1915, Errol was employed as a railway Porter by the SA Railways, the main depot of which was adjacent to the suburb of Mile End.
His NoK was listed as his mother; Mother, Mrs Amy Ellen Roberts, 65 Hughes Street, Mile End, South Australia.
He embarked with the 43rd Battalion, initially employed in its machine gun section, from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A19 Afric on 9 June 1916.
The 3rd Division, of which the 43rd was a part, spent most of 1916 and early 1917 in training initially on the Salisbury Plain training camps in England and from December 1916 they were introduced to the Western Front under their Commander General Monash.
Errol Roberts was appointed a Lance Corporal on the 26th Janauary 1917. He was subsequenty confirmed as a Corporal on the 10th May 1917.
The 3rd Division's first major operation was at Messines on 7 June 1917.
Barely a month later Errol Roberts was to distinguish himself at Warneton. Mentioned in BEAN Official History Vol IV P717 for his part in the successful assault on the Warneton Line by the 43rd Battalion on 31 July 1917, as part of the opening battles of "Third Ypres".
He was in an assaulting platoon in the Warneton operation and after his platoon leadership became casualties, along with many others in the platoon, he reorganised and led the remaining men with the remnants of an adjacent platoon that had sustained similar casualties and gained their objective, desite heavy enemy shelling. His demeanour was said to have set a great example to thhis men who had been shaken by the casualties they had sustained.
He was evacuated with 'exhaustion' but returned to duty on the 8th August. He was appointed Lance Sergeant on 11 August 1917 and awarded the DCM for the action at Warneton. (See the citation in the links in the sidebar.)
He was subsequently gassed on the 13th October 1917, by which time the 43rd Battalion was engaged in the preliminary phase of Passchendaele. He spent several months in convalescence, being evacuated to the United Kingdom from Rouen, and spending time at hositals and facilities at Netley, Dartford and Sutton Veny before returning to France. See the Red Cross investigation record in the side-bar.
He eventually returned to the Battalion in late April 1918, and was later promoted to Sergeant on 4 May 1918. .
The 43rd's next major operation was Le Hamel on 4th July 1918, but Errol had been evacuated to England again this time with Influenza. He rejoined the Battalion on 21 September 1918 for the last phase of th AIF's operations in France.
Errol survived the war returned to Australia on the 20th May 1919. He was discharged at Keswick Barracks on the 14th August 1919
He later joined the RSL and was recorded as a resident of 10 Deemster Street Christies Beach SA. Married to Irene, his children were listed on RSL records as Olive,Cliff,Ruth and Vera.
He died on 13 October 1980. Place of burial not listed in RSL records
Steve Larkins 1 May 2016
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