PRIVATE HAROLD EDWARD HOBBS

Died 27th September 1915
No. 15669 of the Northants Regiment, 7th Battalion.
Born: Tonbridge Wells
Enlisted: Northampton

Harold was the son of George William and Elizabeth of Poplar Cottage, Western Rd., Jarvis Brook, Sussex. A George Hobbs had been renting a house opposite the church in 1910, and a Hobbs family were living at Eagle Farm in Wavendon in 1919.

The 7th Northants had only been at the front for 25 days when Harold was killed in action. From the 25th – 28th September, they were involved in heavy fighting around Loos, and suffered from their own gas hanging around. The regiment was sent in with no battle experience as an experiment. After three days of constant shelling in pouring rain, whilst trying to hold an exposed flank, with no food or water and short of ammunition, they had lost 50% of their strength and their commanding officer.

Harold is listed on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Listed on the Woburn Sands Memorial. His army service papers have not survived.

Hobbs’ Medal card

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Page last updated Jan. 2019.