Stanley Roberts
Name: Stanley Arthur Roberts
Rank: Private
Service No.4562
Unit Served: 10th Battalion
Personal Details:
Stanley was born on 24th November 1893 to John Soames Roberts and Annie Roberts, of 5 Harris St., Norwood, South Australia. Stanley was the eldest of six children. He attended Wellington Road Primary, North Norwood.
Stanley was 5” 10 1/2” tall and weighed 144lbs. He had a fair complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. On his enlistment papers, Stanley was described as an Iron Worker although he actually worked as a Plumber.
Military Service
Stanley enlisted on the 14th September 1915 at the age of 21 and 10 months. He and his brother Richard went to join the A.I.F. on the same day however, due to Richard requiring consent from their father, this did not happen but their service numbers were sequential
Stanley was assigned to the 10th Battalion 14th Regiment with his brother Richard, on the16th November 1915. He left from Adelaide aboard the “Militiades” on the 7th February 1916, arriving in Egypt on the 11th March. He left Egypt on 29th May 1916 for the French port of Etaples arriving on the 7th June 1916. He joined the 10th battalion (B Company) on the 30th as reinforcements after a battle at Pozieres in which Lieutenant Blackburn earned his V.C. On the 19th August 1916 the 10th Battalion (B and C Company) relieved the 3rd Battalion. At 0600 on the 20th August 1916 they were ordered to attack the enemy’s trenches and in doing so encountered heavy shelling. Private Stanley Roberts died in this attack with his brother Richard and to this day the whereabouts of his body is unknown.
The family was told that the two brothers were killed along with two other soldiers by a shell explosion as they were running across a field attacking the enemy trenches.
Date of Death: 20/8/16
Age at Death: 22
Cemetery: Memorial Panel 60 26 Villers-Bretonneux – France
