John Roberts

Private 17907. 9th Battalion. Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment.

Born 1893 in Leeds.

Son of Alfred and Mary of 112 Handel St. Golcar.

Address: 7 Hope Terrace, Leymoor Rd. Longwood.

Brother of Annie, Arthur, Ada and Norman.

Employed at Thirstin&Deanhouse Mills, Honley.

Killed in action: 2nd August 1916. Aged 23.

Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Pier 6 A. Face B.

The Thiepval Memorial bears the names of 72,195 names of the missing, who have no known grave.

John came to Longwood from Honley in 1910, and had attended Netherthong Wesleyan School. Private G.W. Senior wrote to his Longwood home saying "he who used to teaze at Ben Halls, was buried alive by a shell and when we dug him out he was dead." His brother Arthur was killed in 1917.

On 1st July 1916 supported by a French attack to the south, 13 divisions of Commonwealth forces launched an offensive aimed at capturing Thiepval. Despite bombardment lasting 7 days, the German defences were barely touched and the attack met unexpectedly fierce resistance. Losses were catastrophic. In the following weeks huge resources of manpower and equipment were deployed in an attempt to exploit the modest success of the 1st day. The German Army resisted tenaciously and attacks and counter attacks meant a major battle for every village, copse and farmhouse gained. At the end of September Thiepval was finally captured. Attacks continued until increasingly difficult weather conditions finally brought the battle of the Somme to an end on 18th November with the onset of winter.