ROBERTS, John Thomas
| Service Number: | 4554 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adamstown, New South Wales, Australia, November 1897 |
| Home Town: | Adamstown, Newcastle, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Adamstown, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Wheeler (Dudley Colliery) |
| Died: | Acute Miliary Tuberculosis, Exhaustion & Heart Failure, Queen Mary's Royal Naval Hospital, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, United Kingdom, 18 February 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Southend-on-Sea Cemetery, Essex, England Grave reference: E. 3441. INSCRIPTION IN MEMORY OF THE DEARLY LOVED SON OF MR. & MRS. ROBERTS OF ADAMSTOWN |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 31 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4554, 3rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 1916: | Involvement Private, 4554, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 15 Jan 1916: | Embarked Private, 4554, 3rd Infantry Battalion, RMS Osterley, Sydney |
Help us honour John Thomas Roberts's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
He was 20 and the son of Thomas John and Elizabeth Roberts of Brunker Rd., Adamstown, New South Wales.
INSCRIPTION
IN MEMORY OF THE DEARLY LOVED SON OF MR. & MRS. ROBERTS OF ADAMSTOWN
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
From Gary Mitchell, Sandgate Cemetery
Memorialised at Sandgate Cemetery.
103 years ago today, on the 18th February 1917, Private John Thomas Roberts, 3rd Battalion, wheeler (Dudley Colliery), from Brunker Road, Adamstown, New South Wales, died of acute tuberculosis & heart failure (5.30 P.M.) Age-20.
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1652780/
Born at Adamstown, New South Wales 1897 to Thomas John (died 1937) and Elizabeth (died 1939) Roberts, John enlisted August 1915 at Newcastle, N.S.W.
Admitted to hospital 9.2.1917, Mr Roberts passed away at the Queen Mary's Royal Naval Hospital, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England.
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/southend-on-sea-sutton-road.html
https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/80208
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133757303
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133757314
His name has been inscribed on the Adamstown Citizens' Memorial.
John’s supreme sacrifice has been memorialised at his parent’s gravesite. PRESBYTERIAN-21SE. 104.
http://sandgate.northerncemeteries.com.au/index.php/war-heroes/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&aso=exact&s_f=id&data_search=437403#photo-1
An individual Memorial Plaque has been placed on The Capt. Clarence Smith Jeffries (V.C.) and Pte. William Matthew Currey (V.C.)
Memorial Wall at Sandgate Cemetery.
Lest We Forget.
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
John Thomas Roberts was born at Adamstown, New South Wales in November, 1897 to parents Thomas John and Elizabeth Roberts.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 31st August, 1915 aged 18 years & 9 months, single & a Wheeler from Brunker Road, Adamstown, NSW.
Private John Thomas Roberts, Service number 4554, embarked from Sydney, NSW on RMS Osterley on 15th January, 1916 with the 3rd Infantry Battalion, 14th Reinforcements.
On 29th March, 1916 Private Roberts embarked from Alexandria on Troopship Transylvania for B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 4th April, 1916.
He was taken on strength of 3rd Battalion in France on 8th June, 1916 from Reinforcements.
Private Roberts was written up for a Crime – Absent from 16.15 hrs Parade on 30th November, 1916. He was awarded 5 days Field Punishment No. 2 on 3rd December, 1916.
On 9th February, 1917 Private Roberts was admitted to 1st Australian Field Ambulance with Appendicitis. He was transferred to Casualty Clearing Station on 9th February, 1917 & admitted to 1/1 S.M. DOCS on 10th February, 1917 with Pneumonia. Private Roberts was transferred to Hospital then embarked from Calais for England on 17th February, 1917 on Hospital Ship Stad Antwerpen with Broncho Pneumonia.
He was admitted to H. M. Queen Mary’s Royal Naval Hospital, Southend-on-Sea on 17th February, 1917. The Hospital Admissions form recorded “Admitted from France 17.2.17 in very exhausted state with much wasting. Rales & Rhonci all over both chests – much blood stained purulent sputum. Distended abdomen, constipation & vomiting – bowels acted after burp – suddenly collapsed & died 5.30 pm 18.2.17.”
Private John Thomas Roberts died at 5.30 pm on 18th February, 1917 at H. M. Queen Mary’s Royal Naval Hospital, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England from Acute Miliary Tuberculosis, Exhaustion & Heart Failure.
He was buried in Sutton Road Cemetery, Southend-On-Sea, Essex, England where 6 other WW1 Australian Soldiers are laid to rest.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/southend-on-sea-sutton-road.html
Click images to start slideshow.