Name
Vincent Arthur Nobbs
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
06/03/1917
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
53020
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
22nd Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
COUIN NEW BRITISH CEMETERY
B 22
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
St Michael and All Angels Church Memorial, Watford,
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Croxley Mill, Croxley Green,
Not on the Rickmansworth memorials
Pre War
Son of Harry and Mary Ann (nee Burr) Nobbs. His parents were both born in Rickmansworth and married 9 September 1883 at St Mary’s, Rickmansworth, Herts.
Harry died 1944 aged 81; Mary died 1944 aged 78; both in the Watford district. Vincent was born 24 March 1892 in Rickmansworth, and baptised 24 April 1982 at St Mary’s, Rickmansworth. He was employed by J Dickinson & Co at Croxley Mill. When he enlisted he gave his occupation as a bleacher. On the 1901 Census, aged 9 he lived at 5 Church Row, Church Street, Rickmansworth, with his parents and eight siblings. By the 1911 Census, the family (including nine siblings) had moved to 44 Hagden Lane, Watford but Vincent was not present there on census day.
His grandmother, Mary Nobbs, lived at 61 Norfolk Rd., Rickmansworth in 1916.
Recorded as enlisting in Watford.
Wartime Service
Private Vincent Nobbs enlisted 8 February 1916 in Watford, in the Bedfordshire Regiment, no. 25914 5’6½” tall.
He qualified as a Vickers machine gunner 22 June 1916, transferred to the Machine Gun Corps 10 August 1916, and embarked from Folkestone 27 August 1916 to Boulogne.
His company formed part of 22nd Brigade, 7th Division and, in early 1917, they were located in the Somme area, north of Albert. He was wounded in the chest and thigh on 2 March 1917, went first to No. 22 Field Ambulance then to the Corps Operating Centre, where he died of his wounds. He is buried at Couin New British Cemetery, 15 kms east of Doullens between Amiens and Arras. Couin Chateau was a Divisional HQ.
The Army paid his father a gratuity of £8 6s 4d.
Acknowledgments
Brian Thomson
