Seven: Major J. E. Roberts, Royal Army Medical Corps, a prisoner-of-war of the Japanese

1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals; U.N. Korea, unnamed; Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Kenya (Capt., R.A.M.C.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 2nd issue, Regular Army (807256 S. Sjt., R.A.M.C.) very fine and better (7) £260-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Medical Services formed by Colonel D.G.B. Riddick.

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John Edward “Ted” Roberts was born on 14 June 1913, the only son of Mr & Mrs T. H. Roberts of Beckwith Street, Birkenhead, and was educated at Hemingford Street School, Birkenhead. Later, married, his family lived at Ashington, Northumberland. Enlisting into the Army in 1933, he served in the ranks of the R.A.M.C. until 1952, serving in Shanghai, 1937-38 and Hong Kong, 1938-41. Taken prisoner by the Japanese, he was held in Hong Kong during 1941-45. Post-war he served with the Middle East Land Forces, 1949-52; British Commonwealth Forces Korea, 1953-54; in East Africa, 1954-57; with the B.A.O.R., 1957-61 and was Far East Land Forces, Chief Instructor at the School of Health, 1961-63. Appointed Warrant Officer Class 1 in 1952, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the R.A.M.C. in February 1953, attaining the rank of Major in September 1962. He was placed on Retired Pay on 14 June 1967.

Sold with a folder of original documents, including 11 notebook sheets bearing signatures, poems, recollections, sketches etc. from fellow prisoners of war, dated January-April 1944. Several provide interesting insights to ‘camp life’ . Against the signature ‘Frederick Augustus Henry Carter’ is the comment (by Roberts?) - ‘Our secret Wireless man’.

Another sheet inscribed, ‘P.O.W. Camp “A”, Hong Kong, 1944, Ted, When you hear that old expression “Right where the chicken caught the chopper” just think of your old friend - “Neck-or-nothing” Norman. Norman J. Leath, Police Station, Thornhill Rd., Handsworth, Birmingham’. On the back of the sheet Roberts has commented, ‘Norman Leath was one of 11 lined up on the hillside to be murdered during the fighting. Ten died, Norman hit with a sword fell into a gully, crawled away at night and survived. A Miracle’.

Elsewhere Ted Roberts’ skill in the production of bread and liquour is extolled:

‘Many is the drinks we’ve had Ted,
Without further retribution,
But the queeriest drink I’ve drunk with you
Was “Robert’s Rubber Solution”
(Signed) ‘R. Nicholls, P.O.W. Camp “A”, Hong Kong, 1944’

‘... In durance vile he baked our bread,
before they gave us rice instead,
He brewed strange drinks from yeast and rice,
You would taste them once but never twice
Just lately he has been doing the frying
of cakes made of fish that would quicken the dying ...’
(Signed) ‘Spike Milne, R.A.M.C., Hong Kong’.

In addition is a repaired newspaper cutting with his picture bearing the news of his capture and a War Office letter, dated 27 September 1945, informing Mrs J. E. Roberts of 190 Sycamore St., Ashington, Northumberland, that her husband ‘has been recovered and is now with the Allied Forces’.