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Norman Adair Roberts
265672, Private, 1/6th Royal Welsh Fusiliers (Territorial Force)
Killed in action, 6 November 1917, aged 24
Buried at Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel
CWGC registered (Native of Bethesda, Bangor. Son of Thomas and Sophia Roberts) (see note below)
Norman Adair Roberts was born in Tyldesley, Lancashire in 1893. He was the son of Thomas Lewis Roberts, a clerk, and Sophia Jane Roberts (née Williams b Bethesda 1873). Norman’s siblings were Bertie and Ellen Elizabeth. Thomas Roberts died in 1898 and his widow, Sophia married Trevor Roberts later that year. The Census of Wales for 1901 records Norman at the home of his grandparents, William Enoch and Ellen Elizabeth Roberts, at 6 Station Road, Bethesda; the same census records Sophia living at Dwygyfylchi with her children Bertie, Ellen (Nelly) and William. In 1911, Norman, a shoemaker’s apprentice, was still living with his grandparents, now at 4 Station Road, Bethesda, whilst Sophia, her husband Trevor and their other children lived at 10 Alexandra Road, Llandudno. It is apparent that Norman Adair Roberts was brought up by his grandparents at Bethesda.
Enlisting at Caernarvon on 3 October 1914, Norman joined the 6th (Carnavonshire and Anglesey) Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Territorial Force. With a regimental number of 2084, he initially served with the 1/6th frontline battalion, at Bedford from May 1915, but when that sailed for Gallipoli in July 1915, Norman remained at Bedford with the 2/6th RWF. In November 1915, he joined the 3/6th Battalion before joining the 1/6th on 23 April 1916, embarking from Devonport on the same day and disembarking at Alexandria on 3 May 1916. He joined his battalion at Wadi Natrun (50 miles north-west of Cairo) on 14 May 1916. Sometime in 1917, he was renumbered 265672.
On 6 November 1917, just after the Battle of Beersheba, Palestine, Norman Adair Roberts was killed in action aged 24 and buried at Beersheba War Cemetery.
Known memorials:
- Bethesda War Memorial
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
Note:
Norman had named his grandmother, Ellen Elizabeth Williams as his next of kin and there is some correspondence in his record as to who should receive his medals, scroll and war plaque: his grandmother at Bethesda or his mother at 3 James Street, Llandudno. His grandmother is the named contact in the CWGC records and she probably sanctioned the “Native of Bethesda” entry even though he was born in Lancashire.
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