Lieutenant John Lloyd Lorimer Roberts

John Lloyd Lorimer Roberts was born at Camberwell, Victoria, on 14 July 1896 to parents Arthur Glendower Roberts and Catherine Beatrice Roberts (née Lorimer). He was the second of three sons. Roberts was educated at Trinity Grammar School, Kew, Victoria. At the time of his enlistment, he had completed his first year of a law degree at Melbourne University.

Before enlisting, Roberts served for two years in the Senior Cadets and three years in the Citizens Forces, with 6 months in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) as acting sergeant.

Roberts enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) at Melbourne on 19 June 1917 and was attached to the AFC as a private. After attending the AFC Central Flying School at Laverton, Victoria, Roberts applied for a commission in the AFC on 21 December 1917. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on 25 January 1918. On 2 February 1918, Roberts embarked from Sydney aboard the troopship Wiltshire and disembarked at Southampton, England, on 20 April. During the voyage Roberts participated in a concert held on 9 March 1918, singing “Up from Somerset”.

Roberts was sent to the AFC Depot at Wendover and on 6 May 1918 joined the No. 1 School of Military Aeronautics, Reading, for training as a Flying Officer (Observer). In June 1918, Roberts attended the Armament School at Uxbridge and in July he was posted to the No. 1 School of Aerial Gunnery at Hythe, Kent. In September 1918, Roberts graduated and was appointed as Flying Officer (Observer); in October he was sent to France and taken on strength with No. 3 Squadron AFC. The squadron’s last offensive operations took place on 10 November 1918, the day before the Armistice. After the Armistice, the squadron supported allied forces in the move to the German frontier, and provided postal air services for the AIF. Roberts was promoted to lieutenant on 24 November. In February 1919, Roberts was transferred to the home establishment and returned to England on 15 February 1919.

Roberts embarked from England for Australia on the troopship Port Denison on 25 March 1919 and disembarked on 10 May. His appointment was terminated on 25 May 1919.

Roberts returned to university to complete his law degree and by 1922 he was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in Victoria. From 1925 to 1927, Roberts was an assistant manager at Perpetual Executors and Trustees Association of Australia. Roberts married Enid Louise King at St Kilda, Victoria, on 15 February 1926, and the couple had three children.

From 1927 to 1938, Roberts was employed by the match manufacturing company Bryant & May Pty Ltd and progressed through the company from its Sales Manager to Business Manager and finally as Acting Genral Manager. From 1938 to 1941 Roberts was the Managing Director of A. Warburton & Co Pty Ltd.

Roberts enlisted in the Australian Army on 25 March 1943 with the rank of major and was discharged on 2 October 1950 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. The majority of his service was as Director of Public Relations for the Department of the Army. In January 1946, while he was with the Department of the Army, Roberts became a director of a new company formed in Melbourne with the name of Burnoil Pty Ltd. The company held patents and rights pertaining to fuel oil firing equipment for industrial purposes and the company appears to have been operating at least until 1954.

John Lloyd Lorimer Roberts died at the Allendale Private Hospital, Hawthorn, Victoria on 15 July 1966 at the age of 70.