7th Company, Canadian Machine Gun Corps (Canadian Army)
Date Of Birth:
24/11/1889
Died:
10/04/1917 (Killed in Action)
Age:
27
Summary
George Roberts was the son of Robert and Sarah Jane Roberts. He was born on 24th November 1889 in County Monaghan. The 1901 census records George as 12 years old. He is still at school. His father had died. His mother was a farmer. The family lived at Drumbirn, Derrygorry, Monaghan. After emigrating to Canada George Roberts he worked as a Locomotive Fireman. George enlisted on 12th January 1915. Lance Corporal George Roberts was serving with the 7th Company of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps when he died on 10th April 1917, aged 27.
Further Information
George Roberts was the son of Robert and Sarah Jane Roberts. Robert Roberts and Sarah
George Roberts was born on 24th November 1889 near Aughnacloy, probably in County Monaghan. He was one of at least fourteen children.
Known family: Sarah Jane Roberts, Robert Roberts, John Roberts (born 2nd December 1878), Ellen Roberts (born 10th February 1880), Harriet J Roberts (born 4th October 1881), William Roberts (born 6th November 1883), Walter Roberts (born 13th February 1885), Charles Roberts (born 15th June 1886), George Roberts (born 24th November 1889), Thomas Roberts (born 17th January 1889), Rebecca Roberts (born 11th April 1890, died 11th May 1892), David Roberts (born 22nd December 1891, died 13th December 1895), Malinda Roberts (born 4th July 1893), Albert Roberts (born 15th July 1898).
The 1901 census records George as 12 years old. He is still at school. His father had died. His mother was a farmer. The family lived at Drumbirn, Derrygorry, Monaghan.
Family: Sarah Jane Roberts , Horriate J Roberts (born about 1882), William Roberts (born about 1884), Charles Roberts (born about 1887), George Roberts (born about 1889), Thomas Roberts (born about 1890), Malinda Roberts (born about 1894), Albert Roberts (born about 1899).
After emigrating to Canada, George Roberts worked as a Locomotive Fireman on the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R).
1915
George enlisted on 12th January 1915. He was described as 5' 6" tall having a dark complexion with grey eyes and dark brown hair. He was sing and gave his next of kin as his mother, Sarah Jane Roberts who lived at Drumbirn, Aughnacloy.
1916
1917
Lance Corporal George Roberts was serving with the 7th Company of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps when he was killed in action on 10th April 1917, aged 27.
The Canadian Circumstances of Death Register records that Acting Lance Corporal Roberts was killed in action on 10th April 1917. His unit were involved in an attack north west of Vimy at the time.
From the Belfast Newsletter dated 3rd May 1917:
Sergeant George Roberts, Canadian Infantry, killed in action on 9th April, was a brother of Mr C K S Roberts, workhouse master, Dungannon. He was one of seven brothers serving with the colours. One of these, Private Thomas Roberts, Royal Irish Fusiliers, was killed at the Somme on 1st July; another has been invalided to Canada; while Mr C K S Roberts, the workhouse master, lost his left arm at the first battle of Ypres.
From the Tyrone Courier dated 10 May 1917
Roberts – April 9th, 1917, killed in action, Sergeant George Roberts, Canadian Infantry, Machine Gun Brigade, 3rd son of the late Robert Roberts, Drumbearn, Aughnacloy, and brother of C K S Roberts, Workhouse Master, Dungannon.
From the Tyrone Courier dated 10 May 1917
News was received on Wednesday that Sergeant George Roberts, Machine Gun Brigade, Canadian Infantry, had been killed in action on 9th April. He was a son of the late Robert Roberts, Drumbearn, Aughnacloy, brother of Mr C K S Roberts, Workhouse Master, Dungannon, and a cousin of Mrs Grimason, Market Square, Dungannon. Before joining the colours, he was engaged on the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.), and was one of seven brothers serving with the forces. One of these, Private Thomas Roberts, Irish Fusiliers, was killed at the Somme on 1st July; another, Sergeant Major John Roberts, 1st Canadian Division, was three times wounded and has now returned to Canada; two others, Private William Roberts and Private Albert Roberts are serving with the Inniskillings and the North Irish Horse respectively; another, Walter Roberts, is in the Navy, while Mr C K S Roberts himself lost an arm at Ypres.
Family
All Mrs Roberts’ seven sons volunteered and of these, three were killed in action and two were permanently disabled.
George’s brother, Private Thomas Roberts, was serving with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers when he was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916. He was 26 years old.
George’s brother, Private William Roberts, was killed in action on the 6th December 1917 in France, aged 35.
Another brother, Charles K S Roberts, became Dungannon Workhouse master having been invalided out of the war after losing an arm in action.
Memorials
Lance Corporal George Roberts at is buried in La Chaudière Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
Lance Corporal George Roberts and his two brothers are commemorated locally on Dungannon War Memorial.
From the Tyrone Courier dated 30 September 2015: Brothers in Arms
Conference in Four Seasons Hotel including talk by Jack Johnston on 'Seven Monaghan Brothers In The Great War'
The CWGC record Lance Corporal G Roberts as the son of Robert and Sarah Jane Roberts of Drumbirn, Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, Ireland.
