Roberts became ‘A’ Flight commander on No 41 Squadron. In early 1935 he was posted to RAF Amman, Jordan, as Station Adjutant and on 24 July he went to 4 FTS, Abu Sueir, as Flying Instructor and Flight Commander. He was awarded the AFC.
While on leave from Egypt in 1938, Roberts was posted to the Staff at HQ Fighter Command.
On 11 June 1940 he was tasked with forming and then commanding the Fighter Station and Sector at Middle Wallop, Hampshire. In the Battle of Britain he flew one sortie with No 609 Squadron, thus qualifying for the Battle of Britain Clasp.
Roberts was made OBE and posted overseas in November 1941, to command a fighter wing for special operations in north Africa. When hostilities against Japan started, he was diverted to the Dutch East Indies. Roberts was evacuated to India in early 1942, where he commanded the fighter defences for Calcutta and eastern India, going on to command RAF Assam.
In 1943 Roberts was posted to Moscow, as Air Attaché and Head of the UK Air Mission. He returned to the UK in 1945 and was appointed Assistant Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ Transport Command. Later in the year he went to Canada.
Roberts was elevated to CBE in 1954 and retired from the RAF on 29 May 1958 as an Air Commodore. He died in October 2000.
