Name
Charles William Hobbs
1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/05/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
20700
Bedfordshire Regiment
8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY
VI. C. 28.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor,
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial,
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley
Pre War
Charles William Hobbs (usually known as William or Willie) was born on 8 April 1895 in Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, the son of Charles and Ada Hobbs and baptised on 15 May at St John the Evangelist Church, Boxmoor. He was the oldest of five children, although one died in infancy.
William was educated at Boxmoor School, starting in 1900 at five years old. He completed Standards I and II before leaving at age 13 in April 1908 to start work helping his father as a Carter.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 27 Anchor Lane, Boxmoor, where his father was working as a Carman's Carter. They had moved to 6 Fishery Cottages, Boxmoor by the 1911 Census and William was working as a Mill Hand/General Labourer at a stationery manufacturer (John Dickinson & Co, Apsley Mills).
His mother died in 1914 and his father later lived at 23 Queen Street, Hemel Hempstead.
Wartime Service
Wiliam enlisted in Bedford in the summer of 1915 and was posted to the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, being sent for basic training to Woking, Surrey. He would have been sent to France some months later, probably at the beginning of 1916 as he did not qualify for the 1915 Star.
The 8th Battalion were in the area of Yser Canal in April and May when he was wounded in action. He died of his wounds on 4 May 1916, aged 21, at the 17th Casualty Clearing Station, which was situated at Remy Siding at that time, and is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £3 18s 11d, He also received a pension of 5 shillings a week.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org,uk, www.hemelatwar.org. www.hemelheroes.com.
