| Other Info | Frank Crowther Roberts was born on the 2nd June 1891 at Highbury, London, the son of the Rev. Frank Roberts, vicar of St. John, Southalll. After education at St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned into The Worcestershire Regiment on the 4th March 1911 as a 2nd Lieutenant and in 1912 went with the 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment to Egypt.
On the 3rd September 1914 he was promoted to rank of Lieutenant.
In 1914, at the outbreak of War, his Battalion was moved to France in November 1914, where, after only three months in action he won the first of his distinctions, the D.S.O., for gallantry when leading a trench raid 1000 yards west of Neuve Chapelle. That gallant little exploit received prompt recognition. Within twenty-four hours Lieut. Roberts was awarded the D.S.O.
On the 27th March 1918 at the Battle of Rosières, Acting Lieut.-Colonel Roberts was wounded and was compelled to go back to hospital the Adjutant, Captain W. C. Stevens was left in command. On the 17th June 1918 he returned to take command of the 1st Battalion again.
Lieut.-Colonel Roberts was Mentioned in Despatches six times and during the 1914-18 War he was wounded three times.
He was presented with his V.C. in the courtyard at Buckingham Palace by H.R.H. King George V.
After the 1914-18 War, he was seconded to the Egyptian Army on the 16th February 1919. On the 22nd January 1921 he attended Staff College. He was awarded the O.B.E. on the 27th January 1921. He then served in a variety of Staff appointments in Egypt, the Rhine Army and in the Far East, before transferring to the 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment on accelerated promotion on the 6th July 1927, as Major. He served with them in India, the Middle East.
On the 18th February 1931 he was appointed G.S.O. 1 and attached to the Iraq Army. For his distinguished service in the operations in Southern Kurdistan during the period October 1930 to May 1931 he was awarded the rank of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel (London Gazette 6th May 1932).
He had married Winifred Margaret Wragg in 1932 at Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.
On the 6th May 1932 he was made a Brevet Colonel.
On the 3rd August 1934 he was awarded the ORDER OP AL RAFIDAIN, Insignia of the Fourth Class (Military Division), by His Majesty the King of Iraq, in recognition of valuable services (London Gazette 3rd August 1932). On the 22nd January 1935 he was made G.S.O. 2nd Grade (Staff Officer), Nothern Ireland District, a position he held until 24th November 1936.
On the 24th November 1936 he was promoted to the substantive rank of Lieut.-Colonel.
He was selected to command 1st Battalion The Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1937.
On the 9th April 1937 he was granted the local rank of Brigadier while commanding the Poona (Ind.) Brigade Area, and on the 10th March 1938 he was made Temporary Brigadier while commanding a Brigade in India. On the 8th November 1937 he relinquish the local rank of Brigadier.
On the 10th March 1938 he was given the rank of Colonel.
On the 1st June 1939 he was promoted to Major-General and made a Divisional Commander of 48th Infantry Division (T.A.)
Amongst his many awards he also held the Gold Medal of the Order of Mohamid Ali (Egypt).
On retirement from the Army on the 16th December 1939, Major-General Roberts and his wife settled in Bretby and lived at "Four Winds", Bretby, near Burton-on-Trent, his wife's home. There were no children and Mrs. Roberts died in December 1980.
Major-General F. C. Roberts, V.C., D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C., died on the 12th January 1982, of at his home at Bretby, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. He was aged 90 and prior to his death was the last living ex-member of The Worcestershire Regiment holding the Victoria Cross. He was buried in Bretby Churchyard. |
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