219473 2nd Lt. Lionel John Roberts British Army 16th (St Pancras) Btn. Rifle Brigade from:88 Mansfield Road, Gospel Oak, London (d.3rd Sep 1916) Lionel John Roberts was my Great Uncle, the second born son of Edwin James Roberts and his wife Caroline. He had an older brother, Edwin, and younger brother(my father, Charles Thomas) and one sister. He was born in Jersey, Channel Islands in 1895 where my Grandfather was born and married my Grandmother who came from Alderney. They decided to bring their young family to England where there appeared to be better prospects for work and education and settled in the Gospel Oak Area, living at 88 Mansfield Road. My Grandfather was a builder/plasterer. After war was declared, Lionel who was learning to be a teacher, decided, like so many others,to join up at 20 years old. On 8th March 1916, the Battalion arrived in France. He was reported missing on 3rd September 1916, lost in the Battle of the Somme aged 21 years. He has no known grave but his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial along with over 72000 others who also have no known grave. I would like to know more about the particular battle that took place on the day he died. As a young man, he liked to draw and as a child, I was fascinated by his sketch book that contained carefully drafted pen and ink drawings. They were my inspiration to follow suit and I owe him my gratitude for showing me the way.
God Bless you Lionel. You were so brave.
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