Frank Crowther Roberts

Major-General Frank Crowther Roberts, (2 June 1891 – 12 January 1982) was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life Officers of the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, Egypt, 1914. Second Lieutenant Roberts is stood in the centre of the back row.

Frank Crowther Roberts was born on 2 June 1891 in Highbury, London, the son of Rev. Frank Roberts, vicar of St John's Church, Southall. He was educated at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he graduated and was subsequently commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Worcestershire Regiment on 4 March 1911. Roberts was soon posted to the 1st Battalion of his regiment and was sent, along with his battalion, to Alexandria, Egypt, in the following year, to relieve the 2nd Battalion, Worcesters. Roberts was still there upon the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914.

First World War Roberts, promoted to lieutenant on 3 September 1914, along with his battalion, then commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Grogan, returned to the United Kingdom shortly after the declaration of war and arrived there in October 1914, where it became part of the 24th Brigade of the newly formed 8th Division, which was then in the process of formation. Just less than two months after his arrival in France, Roberts was already proving himself in action, which resulted in his being awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) while leading a trench raid. He was made his battalion's adjutant and fought in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, and was promoted to captain on 6 August 1915. He remained an adjutant until October 1916 when he was made a brigade major of the 8th Division's 23rd Brigade. In this capacity, during the Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres) in August 1917, Roberts was awarded the Military Cross (MC). His MC citation states the following:

On 24 October 1917 he returned to the 1st Battalion, Worcesters and, aged just twenty-six, was promoted to the acting rank of lieutenant-colonel, and given temporary command of the battalion, becoming one of the British Army's youngest battalion commanders.

Roberts was wounded on 27 March and returned to England for treatment, returning to his battalion on 17 June, where he again assumed command, leading the battalion during the Hundred Days Offensive until the armistice of 11 November 1918. Returning to England, Roberts attended the Staff College, Camberley, entering in January 1921, shortly afterwards being made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and graduating in December 1922. In January 1935 he served as a GSO2 with Northern Ireland District. In 1937 Roberts became CO of the 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshires and went with the battalion to India. until 8 November 1937, before reverting to colonel, when he relinquished command. Returning to England, he was promoted to the rank of major-general on 1 June 1939 (with seniority backdated to 13 June 1939), three months before the outbreak of the Second World War, and became General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division, a Territorial Army (TA) formation. three months after the outbreak of the war, after twenty-eight years of military service.

Roberts and his wife, who died 22 December 1980, settled in Stanhope Bretby, Derbyshire. Having no children, he remained there until his death on 12 January 1982 at the age of 90. He was cremated at Bretby crematorium and his ashes buried in his wife's family grave in St Wystan's churchyard, Bretby.

His VC is displayed at the Worcestershire Regimental Collection in the Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, Worcester, England.