Arthur James Hart Roberts was born in Putney, London on the 27th of April 1916. Eldest son of Capt Arthur J Roberts and Edna Roberts, his early years were spent at Budbrook Barracks in Warwickshire, where his father was Adjutant of the 7th Battalion The Warwickshire Regiment. Upon his father's retirement from the Service the family moved to Warwick where he attended Myton College. Some time later his father became Senior Staff Officer to the London City Police Reserve and the family moved home once again, this time to Welwyn Garden City. Apart from spending his spare time playing rugby and swimming, it was here that the young Roberts developed an interest in aviation and motorcar racing. At the age of 16 he was befriended by Sir Alan Cobham (of Flying Circus fame) and spent many hours as a 'cleaner' at Sir Henry Birkin's Bentley motorcar Works in Welwyn Garden City.

Putting on a 'blue suit'
Throughout his early years he strongly resisted parental pressure to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in the Army, so after a short period at Sir John Cass's Technical Institute in London, he obtained a birth as a Mid Shipman with the Glen and Shire Lines shipping firm. Serving two and a half years at sea, mainly in the Far East, he left in 1934 and applied for a Short Service Commission with the Royal Air Force. When his application was rejected, he enlisted on the 19th of September as an Aircraftsman 2nd Class in the General Duties Branch. Still wishing to fly as soon as he was able, he secured a place at No. 1 Electrical and Wireless School, RAF Cranwell to train as a Wireless Operator. On completion of his training he applied for aircrew duties and on 10th of June 1937 was posted to the recently reformed 115 (Bomber) Squadron at RAF Marham equipped with Hawker Harts. After serving his apprenticeship with 115 he successfully passed the Air Gunners Course and on the 12th of May 1938 found himself posted to B Flight, 12 (Bomber) Squadron at RAF Andover and later RAF Bicester in Oxfordshire. With 12 Squadron he proceeded to fly as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner in Fairy Battle light bombers, regularly crewing up with Garland and Grey (the first 2 VC winners of the war).

At 14:20 hours on the 2nd September 1939, 16 Battles lifted off from Bicester and set course for France. On board the CO's aircraft, LAC Roberts must have pondered life as 12 Squadron proceeded to take up its war station at Berry-au-Bac airfield 20 Km north of Rheims, France. Upon their arrival in France the Squadron became part of the RAF's Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF) under the command of Air Vice Marshall P.H.L Playfair and throughout the early days of 'Phoney War' performed numerous photographic reconnaissance missions over the Maginot Line and the Franco German border. Both German anti aircraft artillery and fighter aircraft attacked Roberts' aircraft on a number of these flights. During one such sortie he claimed a ME 109 as damaged (although not confirmed). These missions were discontinued at the end of September and the AASF then proceeded to conduct training exercises with the French Air Force (Armee de L'air).

On the 17th January 1940, Roberts was Commissioned with the rank of Acting Pilot Officer and after flying 25 operational sorties with 12 Squadron, returned to England to attend No. 3 Gunnery Leaders Course at the Central Gunnery School, RAF Warmwell. Finishing the Course on the 12th of May 1940, he hurried back to France to join A Flight, 103 (Bomber) Squadron and play his part in attempting to stem the German Blitzkrieg. After an arduous train journey across France he joined the Squadron at Rheges on the 29th of May.

Into the fray
At 03:45 hours on the 2nd of June 1940, Pilot Officer Roberts took off in a Battle piloted by Flt Lt Bloom Jones to attack bridges across the Seine River. Armed with 4 x 250 lb General Purpose (GP) bombs, he retuned safely after 2 and a half hours in the air. On the 3rd of June the Squadron moved to a new airfield at Ouzouer-Le-Doyen, where it proceeded to fly alongside another Battle equipped Unit, 88 (Bomber) Squadron. It was from this base that Roberts next sortie was flown at 1600 hours on the 4th. Acting as the gunner to Sgt G. C. Brams (later DFM) and armed with their usual war load of 4 x 250 lb GP bombs, their aircraft successfully attacked a German troop concentration straddling a cross roads east of the Seine. On the 6th of June he was airborne again with Sgt Brams, but on their way back from the target they were damaged by anti aircraft fire and forced to crash land. Returning to base on foot, the crew was allowed little rest before being tasked to take another aircraft to the advanced base at Echimines in order to operate against German transport columns. Flying from this airfield at 16:30 hours on the 7th of June, the crew of Brams and Roberts were once again hit by ground fire and attacked by enemy fighters. Their Battle (N2253) crash-landed back at base and Roberts claimed a ME 109 shot down. This time however they were allowed a little more time to relax as the Sqn was stood down from operations for maintenance reasons.

Sgt Brams and Plt Off Roberts were thrown into the fray once again on the 10th of June 1940, but were attacked by 3 ME 109s during this, their fifth operation together. Through a combination of skillful flying and aggressive gunnery, the Battle managed to extract itself and escape back to base. On this sortie Roberts, by now the Squadron Gunnery Leader, claimed another ME 109 destroyed, but then had to explain to his pilot why he had shot up his own tail!

The pair flew again on the 11th of June, attacking troops in the Foret-De-Bizy with their usual bomb load and 4 Incendiaries dropped from the rear cockpit. Roberts notes in his Log Book that he flew to the airfield of Souge at 05:30 hours on the 13th of June and it was from this base that they attacked a German convoy on the 14th. Returning from another ground attack sortie on the 16th, Sgt Brams did not hesitate when he witnessed their airfield being attacked by Luftwaffe bombers and dove straight in to attack the enemy aircraft. Using his single front gun, with Roberts joining in from the rear cockpit, it is recorded that the bombers left the scene at a vast rate of knots!

Onto part two or back to the crews