Description
Queen’s South Africa, 2 bars, Cape Colony, SA 1901, 1134 Driver Bertie Clive Samon Hobbs, Royal Horse Artillery.
Officially impressed: “11341 Dvr B. Hobbs. R.H.A.”
With detailed research report and copied service records.
Battery Quartermaster Sergeant Bertie Clive Samon Hobbs, was a young an born in Gloucestershire but spent almost all his life in Ilfracombe Devon.
During his education he decided to become a teacher, after a few years extra education he passed his Queen’s Scholarship teaching Exam in April 1900, now with the exams over, he signed up barely 2 months later for the Royal Horse Artillery, he had already been for some time associated with his local 1st Devon Volunteer Artillery. He was then off to the Boer War for active Service.
After returning home he bought his own discharge to get back to Teaching. As a teacher he was always on hand to give demonstrations of his Swimming Ability, during 1911 during a local School Race he got up and gave a Demonstration of Swimming and Diving to the students, in 1913, it was noted that won 1st place in the Ilfracombe Swimming Race in 2 categories.
During World War 1, he was amongst the first to volunteer, signing up for possible active service in 1914, a member of the Devon R.G.A. of the Territorial Force, he was sent to the Royal Garrison Artillery, starting as a Corporal when he signed up, he ended as a Battery Quartermaster Sergeant, being deployed for active service.
Born in 1881 and baptised on 31st July 1881 in Westbury on Tyne Gloucestershire.
Son of John William Hobbs and Sarah Ann Plunkett.
When Bertie was barely 1 years old, his father aged only 26 died.
He is first seen on the 1891 Census, where he was being raised by his 71 year old Grandmother Mary Hobbs, and her two Daughters, aged 43 and 38, both single.
There was no sign of his mother.
It seems that as a young man he was attracted to serving in the Boer War, he had just passed his Queen’s Scholarship Examination in Ilfracombe in April 1900.
He first attested for service during the Boer War on 23rd July 1900 at Woolwich for the R.H.A.
He was 19 and said he had worked as a School Teacher and had been volunteer with the 1st Devon Volunteer Artillery.
He saw service in South Africa from 19th June 1901 until 28th October 1901.
During his time in South Africa he was with M Battery Royal Horse Artillery.
According to some analysis of his Battery and Bar entitlement for the period, he was likey to have seen action from July 1901 as either one of the 2 guns who were sent on attachment to the Lovat’s Scouts in teh Cape Colony, as noted in Lord Kitchener’s Despatch of 8th July 1901, or with the 2 guns in action under Henniker, who was then with Droan in the Cape Colony.
He returned back home on 29th October 1901, and later purchased his own discharge for the hefty sum of £18 on 18th November 1903.
By 1911, he was back in School, his occupation shown as a School Teacher in Ilfracombe, Devon.
Not giving up with the Army though, the Ilfracombe Chronicle, 8th July 1911 reports:
“No 1 HEAVY BATTERY DEVON R.G.A.
APPOINTMENTS – No 67, Driver B.C. Hobbs is appointed Acting Bombardier, dated 21st June 1911.”
He also seems to have been a formidable sportsman, the Western Times 15th September 1913, notes that he took 1st Place in both the Half Mile Championship at Ilfracombe and the Senior Squadron Race (Teams of Three), at the Ilfracombe Swimming Baths.
North Devon Journal 8th October 1914 reads:
“NORTH DEVON WAR ITEMS
Devon Teachers who have joined the services include:-…Bertie C.S. Hobbs, Ilfracombe Church Boys’ School.”
The Devon Roll of Honour notes he had joined up as a Corporal in No 1 Batt D R.G.A.”
Bertie had signed up with the Local Devon Royal Garrison Artillery.
He had over 10 years as a School Teacher and Wartime Artillery Experience, it seems he had continued with the Militia, later Territorial Force (Since 1908) as he held the service number of 67.
There is little surprise that he went from Corporal to Sergeant by the time he saw service and became a Battery Quarter Master Sergeant.
For his service she earned the Territorial Force War Medal, British War Medal and Victory Medal Trio.
He was first service number 67 in the R.G.A. Territorial Force as a Sergeant, then 173382 BQMS of 164th Heavy Battery R.G.A.
In 1939, he was still a School Teacher in Ilfracombe.
During the 2nd World War, his son 23 year old son, Brian John Hobbs, was a leading Seaman of the Royal Naval Reserve, serving on HMS Mourne, when she was struck by a GNAT Torpedo fired by the German Submarine U-767, the ignition in the ships magazine caused the sinking of the ship with the loss of 111 lives and leaving only 27 survivors.
He died in Barnstaple, Devon, during March 1966 at the age of 85.
