Colonel Caleb Grafton Roberts MC (31 January 1898 – 23 November 1965) was an Australian civil engineer and army officer.
Roberts joined the Citizen Military Forces in 1931 and upon the outbreak of the Second World War was appointed to the acting rank of Major.
Roberts was responsible for espionage, propaganda and guerrilla warfare across a wide area and found the task of directing an international staff with varying motives difficult.
He was the only child of the English-born artist Tom Roberts and Elizabeth (née Williamson), his Australian wife.
[1] Roberts attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, the British Army's officer training centre for the technical corps.
[1] After Russia Roberts returned to England, where he resigned his commission on 24 December 1919, transferring to the General Reserve of Officers.
During Roberts' work as resident engineer on the rebuilding of the A127 road between London and Southend the couple lived at Billericay, Essex.
Roberts and his family departed for Melbourne in August 1925 and shortly after his arrival was appointed assistant highway engineer at the CRB.
He was appointed acting major and called up for active service on 25 September 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War.
Roberts served at the army headquarters in Melbourne and in February 1942 was appointed director of military intelligence, receiving the temporary rank of colonel.
[1] The AIB was responsible for carrying out espionage and propaganda work in the region and also co-ordinated the activities of guerrilla fighters.
By 1944 Roberts was finding it difficult to manage the varying national interests and the strong personalities of some members of his unit.
[5] Roberts was appointed chief engineer of the CRB on 30 October 1944, at a time when the use of motor vehicles was rising rapidly.