Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Lieutenant-Colonel G. B. Roberts, Royal Engineers

Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1902-04 (Capt., R.E.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (Lt. Col.); Turkey, Order of Medjidie, breast badge, silver, gold and enamel; Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 1 clasp, Sudan 1899, unnamed, mounted Court style for wear, good very fine and better (5) £400-450

George Bradley Roberts was born at Portsmouth on 8 July 1869. Entering the Royal Engineers as a 2nd Lieutenant in July 1888, he was promoted Lieutenant in July 1891 and Captain in July 1899. Having trained as a Telegraph Officer in England during 1898, Roberts was selected to go with a small party to the Sudan in January 1899 to build lines within that country. With minimal equipment a line was built from Goz Abu Guma to Er Renk and thence to Fashoda and Taufika . Returning home in 1900, Captain Roberts was rewarded with the Khedive’s Medal with clasp for Sudan 1899 and the Turkish Order of Medjidie. Roberts returned to Africa in 1903, commanding the Telegraph Engineers during the course of the third expedition against the ‘Mad Mullah’ in Somaliland. The Engineers laid line from Berbera to Bohotle together with various branch lines. For his services Roberts was mentioned in Brigadier-General W. H. Manning’s despatches of 17 August 1903 and in those of Sir Charles Egerton on 30 May 1904. He was promoted Major in May 1908. In the Great War Roberts served in France/Flanders from 25 November 1915 to 8 September 1918, being Commanding Engineer, 59th Division, III Corps, 4th Army in the Spring of 1917; Commanding Engineer, 59th Division, I ANZAC Corps at Polygon Wood during September 1917 and Commanding Engineer, 59th Division at Cambrai during November 1917. Roberts was mentioned in despatches on 11 December 1917. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on 1 July 1921. On the list of the Reserve of Officers Royal Engineers, 1921-24; Lieutenant-Colonel Roberts died at Milford-on-Sea on 27 December 1933. Sold with copied service details.