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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Pte. Richard Hobbs
British Army 15th Btn. Durham Light Infantry
from:Burnhope, Durham
(d.3rd May 1917)
Richard Hobbs was my grandmother's brother.
PO. Samuel George Hobbs
Royal Navy HMS Glasgow
from:Polruan, Cornwall
Samuel Hobbs was born 29th September 1883 in Polruan, Cornwall He joined the Royal Navy in 1900 and on the outbreak of WW1 he was a Petty Officer serving aboard HMS Glasgow. He had been at sea with the Glasgow since 1912. He served aboard the Glasgow during action off Coronel, The Falkland Islands and the Juan Fernandez Islands.
In 1917 he arrived home after 4 years and 4 months on foreign service. He was drafted to HMS Deadalus also known as RNAS Cranwell until April 1918 when it was handed over the RAF. He retired from the Royal Navy in 1924 with the rank of Chief Petty Officer.
Pte. Thomas William Hobbs
British Army 2nd Btn. Royal Fusiliers
from:London
(d.26th Oct 1917)
Tommy Hobbs was my wife's grandad. He was 24 years old when he died leaving a wife and 3 children, one whom he never saw. He died in the 3rd Battle of Ypres and is commemorated at Tyne Cot Memorial.
Sgt. Victor Hobbs MID
British Army 6th Btn. Somerset Light Infantry
from:Brean, Somerset
Sgt Victor Hobbs was awarded an MID for gallant conduct in the field at Auchy-Lez-Bassee on the 13th of September 1918.
Sgt. William Hobbs
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Rowlands Gill
William Hobbs was discharged from the Battalion due to an ear inflamation
Pte. William Hobbs
British Army 6th Btn. East Kent Regiment
(d.20th Sep 1918)
Pte. Henry Edward Hobday
British Army 2nd Btn. Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment
from:Kent
Pte. Leonard Isaac Hobday
British Army 11th Battalion Rifle Brigade
from:Aston, Birmingham
(d.20th Sep 1917)
Leonard Isaac Hobday, my great uncle, died in the Battle of Menin Road. He was only 19 and there was no body to bury. He is commemorated on one of the walls at Tyne Cot Cemetery near Paschendale.
2Lt. William Hobday DCM.
British Army 8th Battalion Rifle Brigade
from:Talbot Street, Oldbury
(d.17th April 1917)
William Hobday, the son of Ann Maria Hollick of 33 Talbot St. Oldbury, worked at Accles & Pollock before enlisting at the start of war.
He received the DCM in 1915 for conspicuous bravery in July 1915 as a rifleman at Hooge & the clasp at Ypres in November after being promoted to Corporal.
In a letter to his mother, he wrote "I was awarded the DCM this morning. General Plumer pinned the medal on my chest in front of all the Battalion & I was proud too. After 3 parties failed to find a wounded officer, I volunteered & went with a guide & 2 officers & we succeeded in finding him about 30 yards from the German lines. Under heavy fire we got him in". His former work mates sent him a gold watch when he gained the DCM.
In September 1916, he was wounded in the shoulder, shortly after being promoted to the rank of sergeant. He was awarded a clasp to his DCM in March 1916 & the Chairman of Oldbury Urban District Council, John Round, presented the clasp to Sgt. Hobday at a meeting of the Oldbury Volunteers in the Town Hall in October 1916.
By 1917 he has received his commission as a Second Lieutenant. Soon afterwards, on 11th of March 1917, he was killed at Monchy le Preux, in France, the day the village was taken from the Germans. His Lieutenant Colonel described him as "a most promising officer, and performed his duties in the most gallant manner"
D.C.M with Bar
Pte Albert George Hobden
British Army 23rd (1st Sportsmans) Btn. Royal Fusiliers
from:Horsham
(d.17th Nov 1916)
Pte. M. Hobin
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Usworth
M Hobin was wounded in October 1916
2nd Lt. Charles Wilfred Hobkinson
British Army 6th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment
from:Birstwith House, Wharncliffe Street, Rotherham
(d.23 August 1915)
2nd Lt. Charles W. Hobkinson
British Army 6th Btn. York and Lancaster Regiment
(d.23rd August 1915)
Charles Hobkinson, serving with the 6th Btn York and Lancaster Regiment, died of wounds on 23rd August 1915. He is remembered on the Helles Memorial.
Pte. S. A. Hobkirk
Indian Defence Force Hyderabad Rifles
(d.25th February 1920)
Private Hobkirk is buried in the Secunderabad European Roman Catholic Graveyard in India, Plot B, Grave 35.
Pte Albert Hobson
British Army 2nd Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
from:65 Cross Green, Otley
(d.23rd August 1918)
Pte Charles Hobson
British Army 2nd Btn West Yorkshire Regiment
from:Leeds, Yorkshire
(d.4th February 1915)
Charles Hobson was my great uncle, he was my grandfather's twin brother. They joined the Army together in 1907 after talking to their older brother who was in the Army and had served in the Boer War.
Charles served with the 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment in WW1. I had managed to retrieve service records of all three brothers but struggled for a long time and was so surprised to find out that my great uncle died within 3 months of landing in France. I have discovered that he is buried at Wimereuex, in France. I suspect that he received injuries at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle which was in December 1914 where there had been trouble with grenades and German snipers. Nobody in my family spoke of him, only referencing my grandfather serving before 1914. I shall be travelling to the cemetery to pay my respects and I know I am the only one in my family to have done so.
Much of his military records are damaged and known as "burnt" records due to the Blitz in 1940 but I have been on various sites and although I have found no more on Charles I have since found my grandfather. He seems to have been a rogue! He has 3 full charge sheets with charges ranging from taking a mule, drunk in barracks, destroying barracks property and once when in Malta caused a disturbance in a shop. I wont say what else.
Unfortunately, for me he died when I was small. His older brother Henry who served in the Boer war was awarded the grand sum of £5.00 for serving in Africa. I wish I could have spoken to my ancestors. What stories they could tell. The Hobson family have kept their secrets well.
Sgt Frederick Hobson VC
Canadian Expeditionary Force 20th battalion
from:Canada
(d.18 August 1917)
2nd Lt. G. F. Hobson
Army 8th Btn. Durham Light Infantry
Private Harold Hobson DCM - Distinguished Conduct Medal
British Army 8th Battalion Gloucester
from:48 Florence Rd, Smethwick
DCM for distinguished conduct under fire, 18/07/1915 Served in France during WW I Served in the Home Guard during WW II
Pte. James Farewell Hobson
British Army 8th Btn. York & Lanccaster Regiment.
from:Killamarsh, Derbyshire
(d.1st July 1916)
Cpl. Joseph Hobson
British Army 1st Battalion, A Company West Yorkshire Regiment
from:York
(d.14th Mar 1915)
Joseph Hobson was an Ex regular soldier who was called back into service having reached the rank of Cpl serving in India. He had been awarded the India general service medal 1908.
He joined his Battalion on 27th September 1914 landing at St Nazaire. He was involved in various actions including attack on village Bleu, driving enemy back near Le Verrier, trenches Rue de Bois, trenches east of Armentieres. Joseph was 27 years old when he was killed by a shell fired into billets at Houplines. He is buried in Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Houplines Communal Cemetery Extension.
Lawrence Hobson
Royal Navy Royal Marine Light Infantry
from:Laisterdyke, Bradford
Lawrence Hobson was my Grandfather and he enlisted in 1915. He had not been married long and had a baby daughter, May. He was taken prisoner in April 1917 and was discharged at the end of the war in 1918.
After the war, he had three more children but sadly died in 1924 aged 31. His wife, Eliza Ellen was aged 29 and left to bring up her four children alone. One of those children was my father, also called Lawrence. He was conscripted in WW2 at the age of 19 in the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal and survived the war.
Lt. N. S. Hobson
South African Army Graaff-Reinet Commando
(d.25th November 1914)
Lieutenant Hobson is buried in the Ebenezer Farm Cemetery, Pearston, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Pte. Norman Hocking
British Army 1st Battalion Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry
from:Falmouth
On the day that Norman Hocking landed in France on 1st May, the Germans mounted a gas attack on the sector of the line held by the DCLI. This was only a week after the very first gas attack on 22nd April 1915, so respirators, consisting merely of a pad of lint, impregnated with bicarbonate of soda and tied across the nose and mouth with a tape, were the only protection then available.
It is probable that Norman Hocking would have joined the 1st Battalion shortly after this gas attack when it was withdrawn for rest and reinforcement. The 1st Battalion was fully involved in the various battles of Ypres, Arras and the Somme.
Pte. John Robert Hockley
British Army 8th Btn. Lincolnshire Rgt.
from:Grimsby
(d.3rd July 1916)
Pte John Robert Hockley was my great uncle, one of three brothers. John died during the Battle of Somme and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. Unknown to myself until carrying out research, he was in the same regiment as my grandfather Sgt William James Childs.
Pte. John Hodd
British Army 2nd Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers
(d.24th Apr 1915)
Pte. Benjamin Alfred Hodder MM.
British Army 21st (Islington) Battalion Middlesex Regiment
from:Islington, London
Ben Hodder was my Grandfather. He won the Military Medal on the Somme on 24th of September 1916. I traced the handwritten citation over 40 years ago. Just as well as it's illegible now.
Cpl. Benjamin Alfred Hodder MM.
British Army 21st (Islington) Battalion Middlesex Regiment
from:Islington, London
Benjamin Hodder was my grandfather. In April 1915, at the age of sixteen years and four months, Ben enlisted in 6th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps declaring his age as nineteen and his trade as an engineer. Family history has it that he ran away from school to join the Army. Like so many others at the time Ben had lied about his age and when this was discovered at Winchester, Hampshire after sixty-five days with the colours he was dismissed. Undeterred, seventeen days later he reenlisted at Islington into the 21st ˜Islington's Own Battalion, Middlesex Regiment using his middle name only probably because his time with KRRC was under the name Benjamin. At the outbreak of war in 1914, the British Army had 700,000 available men. Germany's army was over 3.7 million. In order to address this deficiency a campaign for volunteers was launched, thousands answered the call to fight and among them were 250,000 boys and young men under the age of 19, the legal limit for armed service overseas.
The 21st Middlesex was officially raised on the 18th May 1915 at Islington, London and was assigned to 121st Brigade, 40th Division in Kitchener's Army. Ben's commanding officers were Lieutenant Colonel W H Samuel and Majors J McCullough and S D Stewart. On 27th of May 1916 when at Woking, Surrey the 21st was ordered to France and on 5th of June Ben was one of almost a thousand officers and men who boarded trains to Southampton en route to France. The Battalion was split into two groups for the journey across the Channel with some boarding the Steamer Caesarea while others sailed on the Rossetti a former Argentine cattle ship. These two ships were often used to transport troops and had been doing so since 1914. I don't know which ship Ben was on but do know that the Caesarea arrived at Le Havre in the early hours of 6th of June and marched to a rest camp. Those that sailed on the Rossetti joined the others later that day before marching to billets at Barlin 150 miles to the north east towards the Belgium border.
Ben's two years on the Great War Western Front were spent in the area of British operations in north eastern France very close to the border with Belgium. He took part in most battles of the time subsequent to the infamous ˜First Day on the Somme and prior to his capture by Bavarian troops of the Imperial German Army during Ludendorffs Spring Offensive of 1918.
On 15th June 1916 Ben was detached from the 21st Middlesex and assigned to a newly formed Brigade asset, a Trench Mortar Battery. Trench mortars were a new innovation used in a variety of defensive and offensive roles. By mid 1916 most Divisions had Trench Mortar Batteries which took their number from the Brigade, so in Ben's case as part of 40th Division, 121st Brigade his battery was numbered 121st Trench Mortar Battery. The Battery was formed from Brigade units and put into billets at Lillers, 15 miles north east from Barlin. It consisted of two sections of two officers and NCOs and other ranks from each of the Brigade’s Regiments. Lt. Killinghack of 21st Middlesex Regiment was placed in overall command his fellow officers being Lt. Mansell 20th Middlesex, Lt. Jones 13th Yorkshire and 2nd/Lt. Barrett 12th Suffolk regiments.
As mentioned, Ben's unit arrived too late for the opening battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916 when 60,000 British soldiers were made casualties but moved into the line around Loos and was involved in fighting throughout the second half of 1916 through to April 1918. During this time he was awarded the Military Medal, would have pursued Germans toward the Hindenburg Line and fought in the battles of Fifteen Ravine, Villers Plouich, Beaucamp and La Vacquerie and the Cambrai Operations during which he was involved in operations to capture Bourlon Wood. He took part in the battles of St Quentin and Bapaume of the later Somme campaigns and was near to the fighting on the River Lys during Operation Georgette when he was taken prisoner.
20th June 1916 eight 3" Stokes Trench Mortars and six hand carts were received by the newly formed 121st Trench Mortar Battery. The guns were reportedly quite new and in excellent condition but the handcarts were very heavy and the officers complained that they would take a lot of pulling noting that at some stage horse transport would clearly be needed.
21st June 1916 Lt. Killinghack proceeded to Ferfey to the 1st Divisional Bomb School for a Trench Mortar course.
24th to 30th June 1916 three groups of 1 officer and ten other ranks went into Berbiers for their introductory training. The training took three days during which time they were billeted in town.
25th June 1916 the Battery received fifty 3" shells for practice and the next week began firing dummy shells and were put to work digging mortar emplacements.
3rd July 1916 the 121st Brigade moved to Les Brebis to relieve the 2nd Brigade and Ben and his colleagues busied themselves salvaging and making good mortar shells left behind, improving mortar emplacements and cleaning their dugouts. Sadly, the Battery was not issued with telephones which with weapons that are not line of sight I'd have considered essential. Lt. Killinghack clearly though so too and he, and a Captain Morris, the Brigade Scout Officer, went looking for potential observation points.
7th July 1916 Ben lost one of the Battery's officers who was reported to Brigade by Lt. Killinghack for displaying a lack of interest in his work. Lt. Jones was returned to his battalion and replaced by a 2nd Lt. Dowton. I don't know if Jones was Ben's commanding officer but I'm certain he would have been aware of the discipline issue.
8th July 1916 the battery attempted to destroy an enemy observation point but owing to the lack of telephones it proved difficult. They managed to hit it the following day, however, drawing retaliatory fire for two hours leading to a relocation of their mortar emplacements.
12th to 17th June 1916 Ben's Brigade was relieved by the 120th. This allowed time to clean up, engage in squad drills and practice firing with dummy shells away from the line. The battery was back at the front by the 17th and over the next five days engaged in firing and retaliation including on 21st July destroying German machine guns that had been firing at a Royal Flying Corps aeroplane.
23rd July 1916 the Battery moved to a different sector and when they had settled into their new surrounds the Germans sent over a welcome in the form of many trench mortars and rifle grenades. The following day the Battery was directed by Lt. Killinghack to move all eight of their mortars into the line and retaliate for the previous day's welcome.
20th August 1916 one of Ben's comrades Corporal Jones of the 12th Suffolk was killed and on the following day, Corporal Brown, also of the Suffolks was killed by heavy trench mortar which blew in the entrance of our dug-out and smashed in bomb recess and emplacement.
Sadly, the 121st TMB War Diary finishes on 31st August 1916 and the National Archive does not appear to have anything more from 121st Trench Mortar Battery which would include Ben's Military Medal action of 24th September 1916. Ben was preparing shells for forthcoming operations when he discovered a shell fusing. His swift action resulted in the award and citation.
Ben was captured on the 9th of April 1918 at the village of Fleurbaix near to the River Lys during ˜Operation Georgette. The German offensive was furious, and the British retreated. The situation was desperate and Field Marshall Douglas Haig, Commander of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front issued his famous ˜Backs to the Wall order, "There is no other course open to us but to fight it out! Every position must be held to the last man, there must be no retirement. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end." The 121st Brigade had experienced horrendous casualties and at Doulieu, where stragglers were collected formed a composite Battalion and established a defensive line. The war continued until November but for Ben it was over. Captured at Fleurbaix he was transported to Germany to be held at Dulmen Prisoner of War Camp.
Pte. Sidney Hodder
British Army 4th Battalion Welch Regiment
from:Newport, Mon, South Wales
Cpl. Thomas George Hodder
British Army 2nd Btn. Hampshire Regiment
from:Southampton
(d.13th Aug 1915)
Page 55 of 89
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