Pte 114144 John William Roberts

• Age: 24
• From: Shaw, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 9th February 1919
• Commemorated at: Archangel Allied Cemetery
  Panel Ref: Sp Mem B117

John William Roberts was born in the December quarter of 1894 at Shaw, the son of Joseph Roberts and his wife Mary Elizabeth (nee Sutcliffe) of Crompton, Shaw, Lancashire. Joseph and Mary married in 1893, and John was the eldest of their nine children, three of whom died young. His siblings were Llandel or Andel (who died at age 2), Fred, Lord (who died when he was one year old), James Arthur (who died in  infancy), Clara, Harold, Joseph, and James. At the time of John's baptism in St. James' Church, East Crompton, on 20th November 1894, his parents lived at 15 Fern Street, and his father worked as a minder in a cotton mill. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 46 Mosshey Street, Oldham. John is 7 years of age and is living with his parents and two younger brothers. His father is shown as a stone mason's labourer born in Bradford in 1869, whilst his mother is shown as having been born in Crompton, Lancashire in 1870. His younger brothers are; Fred b.1897 and Lord b.1901.

By 1911 the family have moved to 8 Salts Street, Shaw. Both parents are still in the household and John W. is now 16 years of age and a Cotton reeler by trade. He has 5 siblings listed; Fred 13, who works as a mule piecer in a cotton mill, Clara born 1904, Harold b.1906, Joseph b.1909 and James b.1910. 

SDGW and Forces War Records (FWR) show John to have served with with the 12^th and 2/7nd Battalions of the Manchester Regiment as Private 33089, prior to his posting to the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment, as Private 114144. John served for three years, enlisting in about February or March 1916, when he was 19 years old.

Forces War Records also shows him as having been wounded in France on 25^th April 1917. Registers of Soldiers Effects (RSE) also show his next of kin as his father, Joseph. However, John has not been found on casualty lists in the weeks following this date, but his name appears in the list of  those wounded in the Manchester Regiment in the Weekly Casualty List on 20th November 1917.

John was serving in Russia with the 17th Battalion K.L.R. when he was killed on 09^th February 1919 aged 24.

Graham Maddocks describes how John, together with his fellow Pals; 381327 Private Charles Corlett; 114116 Private John Kenworthy; 18619 Private Cyril Maher; 29664 Private William McDonough; 50785 Corporal Charles Lewis Milton and 114191 Corporal Albert Wright; was killed. By early February 1919, the Bolshevik presence in the area of Seletskoe was growing steadily stronger and at 4.30am on 09^th February 1919 they opened up a fierce and sudden artillery bombardment on both flanks of the 17^th Battalion’s forward blockhouse positions and succeeded in cutting their communications with the rear. The Bolsheviks then attacked with infantry and although repulsed with considerable losses on the left flank, they eventually overran the right flank blockhouse position after a fierce fight and killed all its occupants except Private Roberts, whom they captured but later murdered.

A survivor of the Russian campaign, Private J. Grogan, 17^th KLR, described to Maddocks how he went with others to to check on Church Post, the right hand blockhouse attacked, as HQ was unable to contact them by telephone.

“When we found them they were dead. They’d all been dragged out and murdered”.

John is commemorated at Archangel Allied Cemetry in Russia on Special Memorial B117. 

During both world wars, Archangel was one of the ports through which the Allies assisted Russia with supplies and munitions. The cemetery was begun immediately after the occupation of the town in August 1918 by the Allied force sent to support the Soviet Russian Government against potential threat from German occupied Finland and other local sources. It was used by No.85 General Hospital, No.53 Stationary Hospital, No.82 Casualty Clearing Station, HM Hospital Ship 'Kalyan' and other Allied hospitals. 

ARCHANGEL ALLIED CEMETERY contains 224 burials and commemorations of the First World War, including special memorials to 140 officers and men with known burials in cemeteries elsewhere in northern Russia. Two of the burials are unidentified. The cemetery also contains 7 Second World War burials. The ARCHANGEL MEMORIAL, which consists of panels fixed into the east wall of the cemetery, commemorates 219 British officers and men who died during the north Russian campaign and whose graves are not known.

Soldiers Effects to father Joseph, including a War Gratuity of £17-10s.

The pension cards, giving his father's address as 14 Twingates, Shaw, do not specify the amount, if any, awarded.

John is also commemorated on the following memorials -

Holy Trinity Church, Shaw

Shaw & Crompton War Memorial, Shaw Memorial Gardens

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