ROBERTS, Reginald

Reginald Roberts was born in Halesowen and volunteered for the Worcesters. He joined the 3rd Battalion who had been on the Western Front since August 1914. They had been involved in front line fighting for most of the time and in June 1916 were sent from Ploegsteert Wood to the Somme. After the huge losses on 1st July, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, they were ordered to march to the front line and arrived at Aveluy Wood at 2 a.m. on the 3rd to face the Leipzig Salient protecting Thiepval. They suffered a heavy enemy bombardment and on the 6th assaulted the maze of trenches that made up the German defences. There were huge losses and among the casualties was Private Reginald Roberts. He was taken to a Casualty Clearing Station where he died on the 11th July. He is buried in Bapaume Post Military Cemetery (1E 13) and commemorated on the Halesowen Memorial.