Thomas Islwyn Roberts

1923 Enlisted in The Welch Regiment, lying about his age to pretend to be 18 not 16. He served until the mid-1930s. He served in China and Singapore, with the 2nd Battalion who were posted there 1927-1931. They were then posted to Roberts Barracks in Rawalpindi in India.
1939 On the outbreak of war he returned to the colours and helped in training new recruits. He was posted to Porthcawl, but was able to "live out" with his wife
He is believed to have been posted to Auxiliary Units as a training NCO. He spent some time in Hereford during the war, where he was joined by his wife. They left one home as the landlady was so unpleasant and were housed by someone who worked for Bulmer's Cider. Auxilier Vernon Beach-Thomas was an engineer at the works and may have arranged this.
Sergeant Roberts attended the first reunion of the Monmouthshire Auxiliary Units. He was noted on the photo caption to be a PSI - Permanent Staff Instructor and was seated with other members of the headquarters staff. PSIs were normally attached to Home Guard Battalions, with one for each battalion. Possibly he was attached to Monmouthshire because there was no Scout Section to provide training. On the photo he was miscaptioned as Idris, possibly because he was know to the men as "Is".