Hugh Roberts was a professional footballer at Luton Town FC when he enlisted in the Footballers Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment at a public meeting at Fulham Town Hall on 15th December 1914.

He was one of the first 35 professional footballers  who enrolled at the meeting along with his teammate from Luton, Frank Lindley. On their return to Luton they encouraged others to volunteer and a further six Luton players joined the Footballers' Battalion the next day.

Whilst training with the Battalion Roberts continued to play for Luton Town in the Southern League season of 1914-15 before being posted to France in November 1915.

Roberts was a skilful diminutive winger ( 5ft 4 inches,127 lbs, chest 36 and a half inches) who joined Luton from Leeds City.  His wife, Catherine , and his four children remained in Leeds when he moved to Luton and he returned there after the war. His playing career was apparently ended by a fractured ankle sustained by accident in France in September 1918.

His Service Record and Medal Index Card can be found online on the National Archives website.

All images are used with kind permission of Roger Wash, Luton Town Football Club Historian