John was born on the 11 February 1898 Ulverston, Lancashire. to John William and Grace Sarah (nee Skepper) Roberts, with one older sister Grace May and one younger sister Kathleen Mary completing the family unit. He joined the RN in 1915 when he was 16 years and 3 months old with an occupation as a carpenter recorded on his service doc’s.

On Sunday16 May 1915 he joined HMS GANGES in Shotley, Suffolk. as a “Boy 2c” for basic training before being drafted to HMS IMPREGNABLE at Devonport as a “Boy lc” on the 20 August for 2 months before returning to GANGES on the 27 October1915 as a “Boy lc”. In November 1915 he was selected as a telegraphist and advanced to ” Boy Tel.” , then on 11 February 1916 he was advanced to “Ord Tel.” with a draft on the 19 April 1916 to HMS MAIDSTONE still under training. After 3 months on the 13 July he joined HMS ALECTO for H 10 as ships company and on 4 June 1917  advanced to “Telegraphist”.

H 10 left Yarmouth 6 January 1918 for a patrol in the North Sea and disappeared. The 26 crew members and H 10 were never seen or heard from again and the wreck has never been found. She was reported overdue on the 19 January and his Father as NOK would have been informed on the same day his son had been “Lost on Duty”.