RNVC Series - Lieutenant Peter Scawen Watkinson Roberts VC DSC Royal Navy
Peter Roberts was born in Chesham Buckinghamshire on 28 Jul 1917. He joined the Royal Navy in 1936 and served until 1962. He saw action during WW2 and the Korean War and was awarded the VC and DSC.
On 16 February 1942 north of Crete, in the Mediterranean, HM Submarine Thrasher, after attacking and sinking a supply ship in daylight, was itself attacked and subjected to a three hour depth charge attack and aerial bombing. In the cover of darkness, after surfacing, two unexploded bombs were discovered in the gun-casing.
Lt Peter Roberts and PO Thomas Gould volunteered, despite the type of bomb not being recognised by them, removed the first one without too much difficulty, but the second bomb had penetrated the side plating of the gun emplacement, and then the deck casing above the pressure hull.
They entered the confined space (which was no more than 2 ft high in places), and lying flat, wormed past deck supports, battery ventilators, and drop bollards. PO Gould then lay on his back with the 100 lb bomb in his arms while Lt Roberts dragged him along by the shoulders. Meanwhile, the boat was surfaced, stationary, and close
inshore to enemy waters. If the submarine were forced to crash dive, both men would have drowned. It was 40 minutes before they got the bomb clear, wrapped it in
sacking, and dropped it over the side.
His Victoria Cross is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Musuem. Peter Roberts crossed the bar on 08 December 1979 in Newton Ferris Devon.
