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

On 16 May 1915 he joined HMS GANGES in Shotley, Suffolk, as a Boy Second Class for basic training before being drafted to HMS IMPREGNABLE at Devonport as a Boy First Class on the 20 August for 2 months before returning to GANGES on 27 October 1915. In November 1915 he was selected as a telegraphist and advanced to Boy Telegraphist, then on 11 February 1916 he was advanced to Ordinary Telegraphist followed by a draft on 19 April 1916 to HMS MAIDSTONE, still under training. After 3 months, on 13 July he joined HMS ALECTO for HMS H10 as ships company and on 4 June 1917  he was advanced to Telegraphist.

H10 left Yarmouth on 6 January 1918 for a patrol in the North Sea and disappeared, possibly in a German minefield. The 26 crew members and H10 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 Next Of Kin would have been informed on the same day that his son had been “Lost on Duty”.

John Roberts is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 29.