Caleb Grafton Roberts

Colonel Caleb Grafton Roberts MC (31 January 1898 – 23 November 1965) was an Australian civil engineer and army officer. Born in New South Wales, he was the son of English-born Australian artist Tom Roberts. Roberts relocated to London with his family in 1903 and joined the British Army during the First World War. He served as an officer of the Royal Engineers in the Palestine campaign and on the Western Front. After the war he fought in the 1919 North Russia intervention where he received a Military Cross for gallantry. After the war Roberts studied civil engineering at East London College, University of London. After graduation he joined the Ministry of Transport. After his marriage to Norah Joan Watson in 1922 he worked as a resident engineer on the rebuilding of the A127 road.

Roberts returned to Australia in 1925 and joined the Country Roads Board (CRB) in Victoria. He worked to introduce modern road construction and maintenance techniques to the state. 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. He soon afterwards transferred from the engineering branch to the Australian Army Intelligence Corps. Roberts was appointed colonel and director of military intelligence in 1942. He was controller of the Allied Intelligence Bureau, working within South West Pacific Area command. 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. Roberts relinquished the appointment in 1944. He afterwards returned to the CRB, becoming their chief engineer. Roberts again sought to introduce modern planning and construction techniques. He also lectured at the University of Melbourne and the Swinburne Technical College. Roberts ended his career as chairman of the CRB.