Frederick Sleigh Roberts was born on 30 September 1832 in India, the son of a British General who was serving in that country at the time.
He was sent out to South Africa in December of 1899, after a number of defeats suffered by the British, and became the last Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in the British Army, leading his forces to the Relief of Kimberley and the occupation of Bloemfontein, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
After a year in South Africa having established the concentration camps and the policy of burning farm houses, and believing the war was ‘almost over’ he returned to England handing over command to Colonel (Lord) Kitchener.
