ROAN Richard

Richard Roan is remembered on an information board by Looe War Memorial in Cornwall:
Private Richard Roan 15481 does not appear on the Looe War Memorial, and is not from Looe, but he died near Looe in 1915 whilst serving with the 13th Battalion of the Worcester Regiment and is buried in St Martin’s Cemetery.
Richard’s family lived at Malvern, Worcestershire. At the start of World War One he joined his county Regiment, the Worcester’s, and joined the 13th Battalion which was stationed at Looe for training soldiers as replacements for the battalions in France and Flanders. On the 3rd February 1915 a number of the battalion, including Richard, complained they were feeling ill after having sardines for tea. Most of the soldiers eventually recovered but Richard died the next day. The cause of death was recorded as food poisoning.
Richard was buried at St Martin’s Cemetery. So many of the town’s people attended the funeral service that it had to held at the graveside. Flags were at half-mast on the public buildings in Looe and on ships in the harbour. Richard’s headstone was paid for by the Officers and NCOs of his regiment.
The headstone became totally overgrown by shrubbery but was cleared by the Looe Royal British Legion in 2013.