ROEBUCK, Albert Kenneth (1893-1916).JPG)
A K Roebuck (War Service).
Albert Kenneth Roebuck was born on 7 March 1893, the child of Henry Gilson and Catherine Jane nee Clarke, of Malop Street, Geelong. He studied at Geelong College from 1905 to 1910. He passed the Junior Public Examination while at College, and prior to enlistment in the AIF (977) was an Analytical Chemist in the Colonial Sugar Refinery’s works in Melbourne.
He enlisted (977) on 20 March 1915, and embarked for Egypt and Gallipoli,. He then embarked for France with 24 Battalion after the Evacuation from the Peninsula, but was killed on 5 August 1916 at Pozieres. Sgt W A Russell, D Company, reported to the Red Cross Information Bureau:
‘On the morning of 5th August, we went over in a charge and Sgt Roebuck was with us. I lost sight of him in the rush, but a man of my platoon (since killed) reported after we came out of the trenches that he had seen Roebuck lying killed - he was positive he was killed. The reason that this evidence was not accepted at the Court of Enquiry was that the man who saw his body, had since been killed and therefore the evidence was second-hand, which the Court will not accept. Pte Frank Law left Australia with Roebuck and had been his tent mate - was really a mate of his.’ Segeant Roebuck was reported wounded and missing on 5 August 1916, but some considerable time later was officially reported as killed. He has no known grave - his name is commemorated on Villers Bretonneux Memorial, France.
His three brothers, Francis Henry Roebuck (1876-1915); Stanley Richard Roebuck (1911-1995) and Leslie Norman Roebuck (1885-1973) all attended Geelong College.
His brother, Francis Henry Roebuck, 18 Battalion, was killed on 22 August 1915 at Hill 60, Anzac, he has no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli.
Ken Roebuck’s final entry in his diary of 1916, two days before he was reported missing, gives a portent of things to come:
‘Thursday 3rd August 1916 Some of our poor chaps were caught again last night. Poor old Allan C (Allan Campbell, Old Geelong Collegian) was killed, also Lieut. Goodson This is a murderous place, and the sooner we advance, the better we’ll be pleased.’ Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. pp97-98 (citing Roebuck Family Papers; Australian War Memorial; Photo Pegasus May, 1918.)