More about David Roberts

David Roberts was born in Wrexham, Wales and was married to Mrs Euphemia Roberts of 18 Rosebank Street, Dundee. He joined the Royal Navy in 1910 and, after training at HMS Ganges in Suffolk, was drafted to the pre dreadnought battleship HMS Britannia. In 1913 he transferred to the Submarine Service and served on a submarine based at the Depot Ship HMS Vulcan moored in the River Tay. Wartime service was in submarines and David Roberts was lost when his submarine E 47 disappeared whilst on patrol off the Dutch Coast. e was serving aboard Submarine E-47 which was based at Harwich with the 9th Flotilla – depot ships Maidstone and Forth. She was engaged in North Sea patrols off the German and Dutch coasts. Following the resumption of German coastal shipping between Heligoland Bight and Rotterdam, four E-class submarines were sent to intercept. E-47 was lost in the North Sea on 20 August 1917. There were no survivors.

He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Southsea Common, Hampshire. The wreck of E 47 was declared protected on 03 March 2017.

Also lost was fellow Dundee submariner Lt Edward Cambridge Carre, The Grange, Monifieth.