In 1940, using his given name, his mother's maiden name and a false date of birth, Roberts enlisted in the &lt;a href="2/22nd%20Battalion%20%28Australia%29"&gt;2/22nd Infantry Battalion&lt;/a&gt; as Albert Lyons. In April 1941 his battalion embarked to Rabaul, Territory of New Guinea. He was captured as a prisoner of war during the Battle of Rabaul in January 1942. In October 1945 he was recorded as having died on 9 April 1942 from inanition cachexia (starvation).