Home | Veterans | Fred Roberts
Fred-Roberts

A veteran interview with

Fred Roberts

In Korea, Fred Roberts served with 41 [Independent] Commando. He was fortunate enough to make it home alive, unlike many of his comrades.

Play video
Watch the interview

About Fred Roberts

After joining the Royal Marines and completing his training, Fred travelled to Korea and conducted coastal raids to protect explosives experts from harm. While accompanying a convoy along the Chosin Reservoir, Fred was shot through the foot by North Korean fire. After recovering, he rejoined his unit during an ice-cold winter, which left him unaffected by the cold for decades since nothing compared to the Korean winter.

Fred describes his camaraderie with American marines, who he advised against their trigger-happy tendencies because enemy fighters could advance unhindered upon hearing the empty magazine’s distinctive “click”.

Fred never discovered why he was mentioned in dispatches but wonders if it was for performing his duties while injured. He gave blood from his arm to an injured comrade before their evacuation to a military hospital. He later cared for hospitalised patients, cracking jokes and brewing tea. He becomes emotional remembering those who died in his arms.

After returning to Britain, Fred was deemed unfit for service – a decision that still irks him today. He explains that the Korean War, its veterans and the fallen are widely overlooked. Fred’s moving story highlights the need to commemorate those who fought in history’s “Forgotten War”.

Credits


Reviewed by:
Natasha Norris

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

Copyright:
All video content, web site design, graphics, images (including submitted content), text, the selection and arrangement thereof, underlying source code, software and all other material on this Web site are the copyright of Legasee Educational Trust, and its affiliates, or their content and technology providers. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any use of materials on this Web site – including reproduction for purposes other than those noted above, modification, distribution, or republication – without the prior written permission of Legasee Educational Trust is strictly prohibited.

Home | Veterans | Fred Roberts

A veteran interview with

Fred Roberts

Fred-Roberts

In Korea, Fred Roberts served with 41 [Independent] Commando. He was fortunate enough to make it home alive, unlike many of his comrades.

Related topics & talking points

Keep on watching

More veteran stories...

Share this interview on:

https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/fred-roberts/

Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Roberts, Fred. A Veteran Interview with Fred Roberts. Interview by Unknown. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/fred-roberts/. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.
APA Style:
Roberts, F. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Fred Roberts [Interview by Unknown]. Legasee. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/fred-roberts/
Chicago Style:
Roberts, Fred. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with Fred Roberts. Interview by Unknown. Legasee. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/fred-roberts/
Harvard Style:
Roberts, F. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Fred Roberts. [Interviewed by Unknown]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/fred-roberts/ (Accessed: 21 July 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Roberts, F. A Veteran Interview with Fred Roberts [Internet]. Interview by Unknown. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2026 Jul 21]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/fred-roberts/
An interview with

Patricia Davies

Patricia Davies was involved in Operation Mincemeat, one of the most notorious secret war events of WW2. 

Not many women would turn down a posting to Bletchley park but Patricia Davies did. It rubbed up a few noses but it ensured that she would be involved in one of the most audacious secret missions of the Second World War. Operation Mincemeat was a highly innovative and successful deception which helped to convince the German high command that the Allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia in 1943 instead of Sicily, the actual objective.
In her interview, Patricia reflects on her role in the op and marvels at the secrecy that was part and parcel of her life during the war. She also offers opinion on the the film 'The man Who Never Was', which was made about the Operation.
Patricia passed away on the 22 July, 2014.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

David Sayer

Destined for the sea, David Sayer showed great proficiency as a naval officer aboard HMS Plymouth during the Falklands War.

David Sayer delivers an intricate account of his service aboard HMS Plymouth during the Falklands War. His fascination with the sea began at a young age, having fond memories of watching ships transiting across Torbay from the upstairs bedroom of his grandmother's cottage. Recognising his interest, his parents would send him to HMS Mercury to begin his training. Some time later, he qualified as a Master gunner, serving aboard many frigates. When war in the Falklands broke out, he had been serving aboard HMS Plymouth as a Squadron Gunnery Officer. Following the conclusion of Exercise Spring Train in the Mediterranean, Plymouth, along with an assemblage of other ships, were sent to the Falklands for naval support. The crew soon reached Bomb Alley in San Carlos where they were tasked with fighting off Argentinian resistance. David describes his position in the operations room and the process in which they used their weapons against the enemy. Being well prepared, David was infused with a sense of confidence which benefited the navy in the success they achieved early on. However, as he expected, it would only be a matter of time when their ships would receive a hit. He recalls how Plymouth lost power when it finally received a heavy blow. Thankfully, since it was a steel ship, it did not take long to recover. He reveals how this particular story was overshadowed by the RFA Sir Galahad being attacked on the same day. During the war, David also remembers the implementation of new weapons which were experimental at best. This included the Razzle Dazzle, a new type of laser weapon which was ultimately considered unwieldy. David's journey in the Falklands offers insight into the ingenuity of warships used in the war and the dependability of the officers who served aboard them.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Bob Gale

Rough seas, mortar attack, and abandonment: Bob Gale's WW2 account of manning Landing Craft Assaults (LCAs)

Mastering sea-sickness and enduring rough waters was only the beginning of Bob Gale's military life at sea. Desperate to explore the world outside of a baker’s shop in Farnham, Bob describes his multiple attempts to volunteer in the military before he was offered a place in the Royal Navy. In 1942, he boarded the Duchess of Bedford liner bearing landing crafts (LCAs), where he experienced his first assault landing off the coast of Algiers in the dark. After narrowly missing an opportunity to take part in the invasion of Sicily thanks to a scarlet fever outbreak at HMS Pasco in Scotland, Bob was subsequently assigned to the oil tanker Derwentdale with a Canadian LCM flotilla. He spent a fortnight on Sicilian beaches, accompanied by rough Mediterranean seas, delays in movement, and limited provisions for him and his unit. Bob eventually found himself in Bombay, spending his time there guarding various facilities from mobs and strikes by the Indian navy.  When intense preparations for the Normandy landings begin, Bob recounts how he and his flotilla conducted nighttime exercises and large-scale troop landings from the secret HMS Cricket camp. A drill at Hayling Island tragically claimed lives due to strong currents, while another at Poole Harbor saw Bob heroically save a sinking landing craft by offloading weight and steering it ashore.