Thomas Roberts
Memorial: Thornbury & District Museum: 6th Maritime Regiment Memorial
Regiment: 6th Maritime Regiment
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Gunner
Parents: Edward and Sarah Roberts
Marital status: Married
Home address: 96 Rinkfield Road, Kendal, Westmorland
Date of birth: 1905
Place of birth: Barrow in Furness
Date of death: 16/03/1944
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated Plymouth Naval Memorial Devon and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 38
Further information:
Thomas was born in Barrow in Furness, he had 3 sisters and was the only son of a roofer. He married Florence Webster in 1932 and together they had 3 children.
On the day of his death Thomas was serving aboard the Indian Steam passenger ship ‘El Madina’ which was on route from Calcutta to Chittagong carrying troops. On the 16th March 1944 the vessel was torpedoed in the Bay of Bengal by the Japanese submarine RO-111. Ten crew, six gunners including Thomas and 364 soldiers perished. Thomas was initially reported as missing which was not changed to presumed killed in action until almost 2 years later - nearly 6 months after war was over.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?57986