Pte 23221 Thomas Roberts

• Age: 39
• From: Bamber Bridge
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 29th April 1918
• Commemorated at: Tyne Cot Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 31-34

Thomas Roberts was born in the second quarter of 1879 in Walton Le Dale. The son of Peter Roberts (b. 1850 in Bamber Bridge), a night watchman in a cotton mill.  His mother was Elizabeth Woodruff (b. 1853 in School Lane).  Peter and Elizabeth were married in 1873, their marriage was registered in Preston, and they had 3 children; Thomas’ two sisters were Annie (b. 1878) and Mary (b. 1882). 

Tom enlisted in Chorley joining the King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 23221 and posted initially to 14th Battalion.  The 14th Bn went to France in September 1915 but in November that year they moved to Salonika. 

It is not known when Thomas transferred but he was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 23221 when he was killed in action on the 29^th April 1918, aged 39, during the German Spring Offensive. Details of the action were recorded in the battalion diary:

By the 25^th April the battalion had taken up positions of readiness in the Voormezeele sector. According to the battalion War Diary, on the night of the 27^th, at 8.30 p.m. they moved to the line to relieve 4^th Bn, relief completed about 1 a.m.

28^th – At about 1 p.m. a company of composite battalion gave way on the left of our line and the Bosche penetrated from the Canal Bank to the left of my battalion front, which position he maintained despite 5 hours fighting. My reserve company was ordered to counter-attack and restore the position at 7.45 p.m. but enemy laid down a barrage at 7.43 a.m. and the counter attack was unable to proceed. The enemy bombardment lasted until 10.30 p.m. and I then organised a defensive flank.

29^th – At 3.30 a.m. heavy enemy bombardment opened, followed later (9.00 a.m.) by enemy attack and our line was forced back to G.H.Q.1 where I organised and held on to the position. The enemy got through on both flanks practically surrounding 2 of my companies. ‘A’ company was actually surrounded and after severe fighting were captured. 

Thomas was originally listed as Missing in the local press on 25th June 1918. His body was not recovered from the battlefield, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.

Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after August 16th 1917 are named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.

The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Joseph Armitage and F.V. Blundstone, was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.

The memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which was established around a captured German blockhouse or pill-box used as an advanced dressing station. 

Soldiers Effects went to his widow Ellen whilst a pension was paid for his child Francis via his guardian Margaret Ann Tootle.

His mother died in the March quarter of 1917, aged 65. 

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