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Edward William Roberts - AKA Edward William Keith - Information

Edward William Roberts, known as Ted, was born in Carlingford c1895. He then came to Campbelltown with his family. Ted resided with his father, John, and eventually found work as a dairy farmer. When the war began, he decided to do his bit and enlist in the AIF. He travelled all the way to Bathurst to sign up on the 21st of February 1916, when he was 21 years old. Ted trained at the Bathurst Depot, where he was posted as a Private to the 3rd Reinforcements, 45th Battalion. He then embarked Sydney on the HMAT Warilda on the 22nd of April 1916.

The Warilda made berth at Plymouth, England on the 18th of July. He was marched out to 12th Training Battalion at Rollestone. He was then transported to France in September. Upon arrival, he was marched out to the 4th Australian Division Base Depot in Etaples. He joined the 45th Battalion in the field by the beginning of October. He endured the bitter winter with his mates, before becoming involved in raids and attacks following the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in early 1917. The 45th were taken to the Ypres Sector in Belgium in preparation for the Battle of Messines. Here, on the 7th of June, the men were laying out in No Man's Land waiting for the whistle. They got up advancing towards the German line under a creeping barrage. Moving forward Ted was killed in action. He was buried, however, the whereabouts of his grave was lost in the chaos and further bombardments. His name is recorded on the Menin Gate Memorial, in Ieper (Ypres), Belgium.