Next of kin plaque : Sergeant David Roberts, 17th Battalion, AIF

Bronze next of kin plaque, showing on the obverse, Britannia holding a laurel wreath, the British lion, dolphins, a spray of oak leaves and the words 'HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR' around the edge. Beneath the main figures, the British lion defeats the German eagle. The initials 'ECP', for the designer Edward Carter Preston appear above the lion's right forepaw. A raised rectangle above the lion's head bears the name 'DAVID ROBERTS'. In original brown card sleeve.

Born on 21 January 1897 at Redfern, NSW, David Roberts was employed as a blacksmith's striker at the Lithgow Ironworks when he enlisted in the AIF on 25 February 1915, aged 18. After training at Liverpool in Sydney he was posted a private, service number 1285, to D Company, 17th Infantry Battalion. He embarked with his unit from Sydney on 12 May aboard HMAT Themistocles.

After three months training in Egypt the battalion landed at Gallipoli on 20 August and for most of its time on the peninsular was responsible for the defence of Quinn's Post, one of the most contested positions along the entire Anzac front. On 1 December Roberts was collecting snow for drinking water when a sniper shot him through the back of his right knee. He was evacuated to a hospital in Egypt and after his recovery rejoined his battalion shortly before its departure for France and the Western Front in March 1916. Roberts' first major battle was at Pozieres between 25 July and 5 August. He would later see action in the battles of Bullecourt, Menin Road, Passchendaele and the Somme. By the time of the second battle of Bullecourt, in May 1917, Roberts had been appointed a lance sergeant; he was substantiated in this rank in July 1918.

On 8 October 1917 Roberts moved with his unit from Ypres to a place known as Railway Wood. A short time later the unit moved to the front line at Broodseinde Ridge where at 5 am on 9 October they attacked the German troops. During the attack Roberts captured a German machine gun post, taking the crew prisoners and making them carry the machine gun back to his line. For his actions on this day Roberts was awarded the Military Medal. Several days later he was wounded in the right arm by a shell and was evacuated to hospital in Britain, rejoining his battalion in Belgium in early January 1918. On 8 August Roberts had a narrow escape during the capture of Framerville as he records in his diary 'Still advancing…My box respirator saved my life today. A bullet went through it and hit my chest and it stopped there'. The following day the village came under enemy artillery fire and Roberts was killed when a shell burst close to him. He was buried in a nearby orchard and a cross erected over his grave. His remains were later reburied at Heath Cemetery in Harbonnieres, France.

This commemorative plaque was sent to his mother, Mrs Winifred Simpson, in December 1922.