Kenneth John Roberts was born on the 15 October 1922, in Stoke-On-Trent. He enlisted into The Royal Army Service Corps on the 6th November 1941. [1]

He volunteered for Airborne Forces and did Parachute Course 94/95 at R.A.F. Ringway, 6th – 20th December 1943. His Parachute Instructors comments: ‘Keen, physically showed good parachutist’. Upon completion he was posted to the Holding Company, Depot & School, Airborne Forces at Hardwick Hall. [2]

Sometime later he was posted to the 21st Independent Parachute Company, which was the Pathfinder Unit for the 1st Airborne Division, based in Lincolnshire.

He served in No 3 Section, 1 Platoon, as the Bren Gunner, at Arnhem, taking off from R.A.F. Fairford in a Stirling bomber of an R.A.F. Squadron, on Sunday, 17 September 1944. He was taking part in the pathfinder mission for the 1st Airborne Division on Operation ‘Market-Garden’.

He jumped onto D.Z. ‘X’ near Heelsum in Holland successfully, and along with the rest of 1 Platoon he then took part in the ensuing battle in the Oosterbeek area.

He was wounded, but still managed to withdraw across the Lower Rhine, back to the main British lines on the night of the 25th/26th September 1944. Unfortunately, he died of his wounds on the 29th September 1944, and was originally buried at the Jonkerbos Old Cemetery.

The son of John and Annie Roberts, Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent, he was 21 years old when he died.

He now lies at rest in the Jonkerbos War Cemetery at Nijmegen, 15. B. 3.

He is mentioned on pages 60, 86, 88, 119, 125-127, 162, 176, 177 & 198 of ‘Leading the Way to Arnhem’. An Illustrated History of the 21st Independent Parachute Company 1942 – 1946. Based on the Fred Weatherley Files, Official Records and Personal Accounts of Members of the Company. By Peter Gijbels & David Truesdale. R.N. Sigmond Publishing, 2008.

NOTES:

[1] The Parachute Regiment, Transfer & Enlistment Book 16, page 38.

[2] Parachute Course Report, R.A.F. Ringway. December 1943.

Written and researched by Robert Hilton