Nickname(s) "Ham" Years of service 1914 - 1945 Name John Roberts Service/branch Canadian Army | Allegiance Canada Rank Major General Died 1962, Jersey | |
Commands held 2nd Canadian Infantry Division Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Dieppe Raid Education Royal Military College of Canada Awards Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross Battles and wars World War I, Dieppe Raid, World War II Similar People Trafford Leigh‑Mallory, Louis Mountbatten - 1st Earl M, Gerd von Rundstedt | ||
John Hamilton "Ham" Roberts CB, DSO, MC (December 21, 1891 – 1962) was a Canadian artillery officer and major general.
Roberts was born in Pipestone, Manitoba. He studied in Upper Canada College and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario in 1914, student #891.
From 1939, he commanded the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Northern France, and was served in that position when the Germans began the Battle of France in May 1940. Roberts managed to save his regiment's guns while evacuating from Dunkirk. He was later promoted to Major General and appointed General Officer Commanding the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division in 1941.
Roberts was put in charge of the ground troops for the raid against Dieppe, on August 19, 1942. His command post was aboard HMS Calpe and due to poor communications he had no idea how his troops were managing, until they called for landing craft for immediate evacuation. Roberts was criticized for unnecessarily committing his reserve troops (Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal) and inadvertently increasing the casualties. He was relieved of his command six months later. It was Roberts's inept performance during a war-game codenamed Operation Spartan in March 1943 rather then the Dieppe raid, which ended Roberts's career. General Harry Crerar reprimanded Roberts for the poor co-ordination between the 2nd Division's artillery and infantry during Operation Spartan war-games, and that Roberts failed to have forces dig in after seizing a bridgehead despite having ample time to do so. After Operation Spartan, Roberts was judged unfit to hold a combat command. He was sent to command reinforcement units in the United Kingdom and received no further operational commands. He later retired to the Channel Islands.