Pte 300354 David Roberts

In 1891 the family is living at 14 Cook Street, Whiston. 
The father Moses aged 42 a coal miner who was born in Holywell, his wife Louisa aged 44 wa sborn in Mostyn and has no occupation listed. They have five children at the taking of the Census who were all born Mostyn, John L. 16 coal miner, Isaac 14 coal miner, Mary 11 a scholar, Moses 9 a scholar, and David 1. They have a boarder James Smith 34 coal miner. 

 

In 1901 they are still in Cook Street, with four sons at home. His father and three older brothers John, Isaac, and Moses, are all coal miners/hewers. David is 11

 

1911 finds David living at home with his parents still at the same address.  His father, 63, has left the mines is employed as a general labourer with Whiston District.  His mother is 64, David is 21, a coal miner/hewer with the Council. They state that seven of their children are still alive. 

 

David married Annie Roscoe at St Nicholas' Church, Whiston on 12th September 1912 and had two sons, David born in the March quarter of 1913 and James who was born on 02nd February 1914. David sadly died in infancy in 1913.

 

The Medal Roll shows that he enlisted in 1/1st Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry as Private 250105 (SDGW shows regimental number 670 L.H.Y.). The 1/1st L.H.Y. was formed in August 1914 and the amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he served for 44 months, enlisting at the outbreak of war. In September 1917, the battalion was amalgamated with the K.L.R., and was redesignated the 18th (Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry) Battalion, the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment. David was given the regimental number 300354.

 

He was declared Missing between 21-28 March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive. However, his name appeared in the list of Wounded published in the Weekly Casualty List on 4th June 1918.

 

Mr. W. Roscoe, presumably a relative of Annie’s, of 7 Woodend View, Mossley, near Manchester, contacted the International Red Cross requesting formation on Pte Dave Roberts, missing since 21st March, in hopes that he had been captured wounded.  His ID disc had been sent in from the German Central Effects Bureau on 17th June without further details, “death of the owner uncertain”.  This was communicated to the family on 20th November 1918, after the Armistice and nine months after Dave had been declared Missing. A notation on the pension card states his widow was notified of his death on 29th November.

 

Dave’s death was later presumed, for official purposes, as having occurred on 28th March 1918.

The Battalion Diary gives an insight into the chaotic events of the day

28^th March

At about 6am the enemy commenced to shell heavily the whole of the forward line and brought Trench Mortars and MACHINE Guns into action.

FOLIES was shelled and the area in the rear of the village as far back as LE QUESNEL.

Rations were received at dawn and parties were organised to carry them to the Companies on the right. Owing to the heavy fire, however, it was not possible to get them up.

Heavy fighting was in progress on the right from soon after dawn and at 8am the enemy was reported to be in possession of BOUCHOIR and progressing towards the BEETROOT FACTORY. About 10am  the 59^th Infy Brigade was notified that it was relieved by the French and the Battalions of that Brigade were at once withdrawn in the direction of LE QUESNEL.

At noon the enemy was bombarding the village and vicinity heavily and reports were received that he was in occupation of WARVILLERS on the left and ARVILLERS on the right.

The front line East of FOLIES continued to resist until about 2pm when the order was received from the 89^th Infy Brigade to the effect that the Battalions were relieved by the French and would withdraw at once to MEZIERES, where the men would be fed. Companies withdrew under some shelling and very heavy M.G. and rifle fire from the left , through K10 -K3 – North side LE QUESNEL to the main ROYE road and reorganised about D.29 c. The march from this point was conducted in good order despite the congested roads.

At MEZIERES it was decided to continue a rearward movement and the march was resumed via VILLERS-MOREUIL – MORISEL – ROUVREL, which village was reached about 7pm and the Battalion billeted. The men had marched 13 miles from the left position in good order and with practically no straggling. They were exhausted on arrival at ROUVREL, but in good heart.

Echelon ‘A’ of the Transport joined the Battalion at this village and the men were fed immediately on arrival. The night passed without incident. 

David has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

He earned two medals, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Reported wounded in the Weekly Casualty List 4th June 1918

King's Liverpool Regiment - Roberts 300354 D.(Widnes);

 

Annie received his Army effects and a War Gratuity of £21.  Annie, living at 57 Whiston Cross, Whiston, was awarded a pension of £1-0s-5d from January 1919.

 

His father died shortly after David went missing, in the summer of 1918, aged 70, and his mother in 1924, aged 78.

 

Annie appears to have died in 1928, aged 42. His son James married and had a family.  

David is commemorated on the St Anne's War Memorial Rainhill.

We currently have no further information on David Roberts, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.