Ernest Maurice Roberts was the middle of three brothers who are all ‘Men on the Gates’ –  William Henry Roberts and Albert Sidney Roberts. They came from a large family with 15 children: John, Evan, William, Thomas, Mary, Richard, Hugh, Ernest, James, (Albert) Sidney, Frances, Kate, Alice, Norman and Albert. Their father was Thomas Roberts, a general labourer working in a brickyard. Their mother was Catherine, she would die in July 1911. The family lived at Morda Factory Cottages. Of the brothers, with the exception of the two youngest, all would serve. The Roll of  Honour in BCA records that one was awarded the Military Medal, one was a PoW since 1915, a third was serving in France and another in Egypt.

Ernest Maurice Roberts was born on 24 April 1891 at Nant y Caws, near Morda, a few miles south of Oswestry. He was baptised at Morton Parish Church on 24 August 1893. In the 1901 census Ernest is living at ‘Factory Cottages’, Morda, Oswestry’ but no record can be found for him in 1911. At his enlistment he gave his job as a barman. Also on his enlistment papers he gave his and his father’s addresses as ‘The Drill’, Morda – it is possible that that was where he was working with his father as publican.

Ernest enrolled in the Royal Navy on the 3 December 1915 and reported for duty on 15 June 1916 and was posted to 4 and later to 3 Reserve Bn RN.  On the 9 October 1916 he was drafted to Nelson Bn RN BEF and arrived in France at Boulogne on 10 October 1916. He joined Nelson Battalion on 25 November 1916. Ernest died of wounds on 24 January 1917 at 2(RN) Field Ambulance at Mesnil. He had been hit by shrapnel in his left leg and buttock. The battalion was operating in the area to the north of the River Ancre at Baillescourt Farm on the Somme. Ernest is buried in Mesnil Communal Cemetery Extension. There is also a commemorative stone on the family grave in Oswestry Cemetery. He is also on St Oswald’s War Memorial.

The Brother’s Commemorative Medallions

References and Sources

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