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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"
