Description
Military Medal, GV, 67719 Sergeant Mattei Joseph Gobba, 133rd A.T. Company, Royal Engineers, Son of an Italian immigrant and British Mother.
Officially impressed: “67719 Sjt: M.J. Gobba. 133/A.T. Coy. R.E.”
Announced in the London Gazette dated 19th November 1917, for service with the 133rd Army Troops Company, Royal Engineers.
Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette 13th July 1916.
With War Office notification letter.
Born as Mattei Joseph Gobba, later adopting the Anglicised forename “Matthew”, was born in Holborn, London on 6th January 1878.
He was the son of Italian Immigrant turned British naturalised citizen Pietro (Peter) Gobba, 1849-1911.
Both his Grandparents, Giovanni and Maria lived in Italy, their son Pietro having come to England some time around the 1860s, during the tumultuous period of the “Risorgomento” where from 1848-1871 Italy undertook a bloody unification through multiple revolutions and wars.
Mattei’s father Pietro had come to London and married a British Woman there, Elizabeth Beattie, from Bloomsbury.
His father worked various jobs being described as a “Journeyman, Carpenter, Ice Cream Maker and Shop Keeper”.
He was one of many children, totalling 9 other siblings born between 1870 and 1890, most being given typical Italian names.
Mattei married Margaret Neal, a fellow Londoner born in Bloomsbury during 1881.
As a young man he served in his local volunteer unit, the 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers, the only surviving evidence being his entries in the “Police Gazette” from when the young man deserted his unit.
Initially serving as 7121 Pte Matthew Gobba in the 2nd Royal Fusiliers, he had enlisted on 26th January 1899, but was announced as a deserter from Aldershot on 26th May 1899.
Years later with the outbreak of the Great War, Matthew who was working as a Builder, once again enlisted, signing on early into the war in London for service with the Royal Fusiliers on 16th September 1914.
However he was not to get his chance to serve overseas at this point as he was found medically unfit for service on 21st November 1914 and discharged after just 68 days of service.
Having seemingly found his way around this, he managed to join the Royal Engineers, likely due to his experience as a Builder and Handy man he flourished and rose up the ranks.
He rose up the ranks to become a Sergeant and later Company Sergeant Major.
His first service was recorded as landing in Egypt on 21st July 1915.
For his WW1 service he earned the 1914-15 Star Trio.
During the war he would earn a Mention in Despatches, in the LG dated 13th July 1916.
The next year he would add the Military Medal on 19th November 1917.
After the war was over he returned home to his family, being shown on the 1921 Census back with his wife and 6 Children at Brewer Street in Soho.
He still lived in London during 1939, and later died there at Shoreditch during 1952.
