Frank Roberts

Forenames

Frank AWMM

Surname

Roberts AWMM

Also known as

Frank Ah Sue AWMM

Service number

WWI 16/1382 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe

Iwi Māori, Māori AWMM

Birth

1895 AWMM

Next of kin

Mrs K. Roberts (wife), Faleasiu, Samoa, Pacific Islands AWMM

War

World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

WWI 16/1382 AWMM

Enlistment

WW1 Unknown AWMM Trader/Civilian AWMM

Embarkation details

• WW1 06 May 1916-21 Jun 1916 AWMM
  HMNZT 52 AWMM Vessel was Mokoia AWMM Private AWMM 4th Reinforcements AWMM Maori Contingent AWMM
• WW1 Talune 11 February 1918 AWMM Vessel was Talune AWMM Proceeding to Samoa for Discharge AWMM New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
  2nd Embarkation AWMM

Medical notes

Tattoos, WWI AWMM
"Tattoo Pants" AWMM

Death

20 Apr 1920 AWMM

Obituary

Death Of Frank Roberts.
EXPIRES ON THE BEACH AT ALEIPATA. News was received in town on Wednesday morning to the effect that Mr Frank Roberts, who controlled Messrs Churchward & Ah Sue's store at Saluafata, had met his death at Aleipata shortly after midday on Tuesday under rather unusual circumstances. It appears that Mr & Mrs4 Edward Westbrook with a child in arms in company with Frank Roberts, were walking along the beach at Aleipata, preparatory to boarding the "Nancy" to come up to Apia. It is stated that Mr Westbrook, who was carrying the child, had occasion to put out his hand to ward off Frank Roberts who had got in the former's way. as he was walking along. As far as can be ascertained the action of Mr Westbrook was not in the nature of a blow. However, Frank Roberts fell heavily on the sand it was soon noticed that something serious had happened. Frank Roberts was dead in less than 20 minutes. Mr Westbrook did all .he possibly could to resuscitate the deceased, but without avail. The following morning Mr Westbrook arrived in town, on the "Nancy" with the deceased's body, shortly before 9 a.m,, & immediately reported the matter, at the same placing himself at the disposal of the police. The body was conveyed to hospital where a post mortem examination was held, & it is understood that the cause of death was found to be apoplexy. Mr Westbrook was detained by the police, pending an investigation. The funeral took place at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, with military honours, when a salute was fired and the "Last Post" sounded. The funeral, conducted by the Rev. Frank Joseland, was largely attended. The deceased was the 4th volunteer to leave Samoa for the Front, where he passed through the Battles of the Somme, subsequently being "gassed" & invalided home. Both the deceased & Mr. Westbrook served in the same regiment. The deceased's name, "Frank Roberts" was an adopted one. His real name is Frank Ah Sue, He was a younger 1/2 brother to the late James Ah Sue.

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 June 2025 - Death Of Frank Roberts.
Samoanische Zeitung, Volume 20, Issue 17, 24 April 1920, Page 8

Related objects

External links

• Military personnel file
  https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R20806400
  Further Reference
• Corporal Frank Roberts Comes Home’, Samoa Times, 9 March 1918
  https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/SAMZ19180309.2.8
  Further Reference
• Samoan soldiers in WWI
  http://samoaww1.webs.com/
  Further Reference
• Cowan, J. (1926). The Maoris in the Great War. Auckland, N.Z.: Maori Regimental Committee by Whitcombe & Tombs.
  https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20201108000000/https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-CowMaor.html
  Further Reference

References

• Information kindly provided by family
• New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  31: 26
• New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume IV. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  77: 7
• Kennedy, A. (2015). Chinese Anzacs : Australians of Chinese descent in the defence forces 1885-1919 (revised to include New Zealand-born Chinese of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force 1914-1919) (2nd ed). Wellington: New Zealand Chinese Association.
• Liava'a, C. (2013). Le fitafita mai Samoa = The force from Samoa : soldiers from the Samoan Islands in the Great War. Auckland, N.Z.: Polygraphia.
• Soutar, M. (2019). Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E!: Maori In the First World War. New Zealand: David Bateman Ltd.
• HMNZT 52.The bugle call of the 12th NZ Reinforcements : being the souvenir number of The Mokoia chronicle.(1916). On board ship: Published on board H.M.N.Z. Transport no. 52 "S.S. Mokoia".
• Cowan, J. (1926). The Maoris in the Great War. Auckland, N.Z.: Maori Regimental Committee by Whitcombe & Tombs.
• Pugsley, C. (1995). Te Hokowhitu a Tu : the Maori Pioneer Battalion in the first World War. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed.