Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Daniel (birth name Donald) was born at Waimate on 19 February 1885, son of John and Ellen Roberts. Enlisting under the name of Daniel, aged 31, on 29 May 1915 he gave his occupation as labourer, address Paynestown, Waimate, and his birth date as 1 February 1884. He was described as being Anglican, 5 foot 5 inches tall, blue eyes, of fair complexion, brown hair, weighing 140 lbs, chest measuring 32 to 34 ½ inches and having fairly good teeth. His mother, Mrs E. Roberts of Painstown, Waimate, was nominated as his next of kin. Rifleman Roberts embarked with his unit, B Company, 1 NZ Rifle Brigade, from Wellington on 9 October 1915, aboard either the SS Maunganui, Tahiti, Aparima, Navua or Warrimoo, and arrived in Suez, Egypt on 15 November. Whilst serving in Egypt, Daniel contracted severe enteric fever and was admitted on 2 February 1916, to the 21st General Hospital at Alexandra. He was then transferred to the Royal Victorian Hospital at Grey Towers in England on 14 May 1916, discharged from there on 20 July to Hornchurch, then onto Codford until his discharge from hospital on 11 November 1916. A posting to France followed on 15 November 1916. On 26 November 1917, he received a gunshot wound and admitted to hospital in France followed by transfer to NZ General Hospital Brockenhurst on 11 December. He was again transferred to NZ General Hospital Hornchurch on 15 February 1918, then to Codford on 15 April. Arriving back in France on 24 August 1918, he was promoted to Lance Corporal. Wounded again in the leg on 6 October, he was transferred to hospital in England on 19 October, where he remained until his return to NZ on Draft 204, embarking from Liverpool aboard SS Tahiti, on 3 December 1918. Arriving home at Port Chalmers approximately 11 January 1919, he received his discharge from the army on 9 February 1919. For his service, Daniel was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Daniel remained in the Waimate district, living at Painstown working as a labourer, until his death on 5 October 1971. On the electoral roll from 1963, he was using his birth name of Donald and is buried in the Waimate Lawn Cemetery, Plot 97, Block 15, under the name of Donald Dan Roberts. Mrs S. Shaw of Painstown Road, Waimate is given as his next of kin.

Sources

Timaru Herald, 27 May 1915, p2, 29 October 1917, p11, 23 October 1918, p7, New Zealand Herald, 14 December 1917, p6, Sun 6 January 1919, p7, & Dominion, 6 January 1919 cia Papers Past at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz; Birth, Death and Marriage Historical Records at https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Ted Hansen, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.