William Roberts was born in 1895 at Oswestry. His parents were William and Elizabeth Ann (nee Lloyd) Roberts. William was their second child; he had 2 siblings, Jack Roberts and Susan. In 1901 William, his parents and sister were living at Gronwen near Oswestry, brother Jack was living with his paternal grandparents a few houses away. His father worked as a farm wagoner: his 2 sons would follow him as agricultural labourers and in 1911, Jack was a wagoner whilst William was a cowman at Mile House, Oswestry. By this time too their father had become a widower; their mother died in 1904. He moved into Oswestry and was living on Duke Street and later on Gate Street.

William stopped being a cowman and became a soldier joining up in 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry in about January 1913, when he turned 18. He went over to France with the battalion on 10 September 1914. He was wounded in November 1914 at Armentieres. He returned to duty and was likely posted to 1/4 Bn KSLI in 1917 when the battalion returned from the Far East. He died of wounds on 30 October 1917 at Dozinghem. The battalion were in action during Second battle of Passchendaele, Third Ypres in the area around Tournant, Varlet and Kronprinz farms. He is buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery, his headstone reads ‘He nobly fought the battle, He nobly fought and fell for God, King and Country and those He loved so well’. William is also commemorated at Holy Trinity Church, Oswestry.

Acknowledgements.

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