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Major
ALLEN (aka Alan) FABER HOBSON[1]
Royal Engineers 

by

 Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, P.E., MinstRE
(May 2023)

Figure 1. Major Allen Faber Hobson, D.S.O., R.E.
(Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum) 

1.  INTRODUCTION 

            Allen Hobson was a Territorial Force officer who had a meteoric rise from 2^nd Lieutenant to Major between September 1914 and August 1915 when he was given command of a Royal Engineers field company in the 49^th Division.  As with many other young men in France he faced the daily dangers from enemy fire until he sadly met his death in the field while supervising the work of his company.  The following is the story of his brief life during the horrendous years of the Great War of 1914-1918. 

2.  FAMILY INFORMATION AND EARLY LIFE

Family Information

            Allen Faber Hobson was the son of Albert John Hobson (1862-1923), a merchant and manufacturer of cutlery, and Maud Langrish Hobson, née Faber (1870-?).  The Hobsons had two sons: Alan Faber Hobson (1893-1916) and Leslie Faber Hobson (1896-1915), both of whom served in the Great War.[2]   

            In 1911 Albert John Hobson received an order of knighthood as the Lord Mayor of Sheffield.  Sir Albert also served as a member of the University of Sheffield from its foundation until his death.  He served as a Treasurer from 1910-1916 and as pro Chancellor from 1916-1923, and was awarded an honorary degree of LLD in 1920.  Hobson was a generous benefactor to the university throughout and on his death he left a bequest which included £5000 to build a sports pavilion at Norton in memory of his sons.[3]   

Figure 2.  Sir Albert John Hobson, Lord Mayor of Sheffield, ca. 1911.
(Image courtesy of Art UK)           

Early Life

            Allen Faber Hobson was born in Truro, Cornwall on 25 March 1893.  In 1901 he was living with his father and his brother Leslie and four domestic servants in a large and elegant home at 381 Fulwood Road in Sheffield. 

Figure 3.  The Hobson Home at 381 Fulwood Road, Sheffield.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

            Allen’s education began at St. Andrew’s School in Eastbourne, Sussex and then at Rugby School in Warwickshire.  In 1911 he matriculated at Caius College in Cambridge University and he left Cambridge in 1914 with a degree in Mechanical Sciences Tripos.[4]  

3.  COMMISSIONING AND TRAINING 

Commissioning 

            Allen Hobson received a commission as a 2^nd Lieutenant in the West Riding Divisional Engineers (Territorial Force) on 12 September 1914.[5]  His commissioning may have been facilitated by his father as Lord Mayor of Sheffield or by a friend or colleague of Sir Albert’s.  After his commissioning he probably reported to the School of Military Engineering (S.M.E.) at Chatham for a short officer’s course in military engineering. 

Training 

As the war in France, and especially the formation of new Territorial Force divisions, required a rapid increase in the number of officers to fill the divisional engineer units, his training would have been much shorter than the normal 24 months for young officers at the S.M.E.  He would have been enrolled in the “war course” consisting of the study of field fortifications, construction, surveying, telegraphy and tactics.  Time permitting, he may have also been trained in electric lighting, photography, chemistry and military law, although these subjects may have been omitted due to time constraints.           

4.  POSTINGS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

49^th (West Riding) Division 

            Following his training at Chatham, 2^nd Lieutenant Hobson was posted to the 2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company, Royal Engineers, a unit of the West Riding Division.  Elements of the division had, by the outbreak of the war in August 1914, just departed for their annual summer camp and were mobilised for war service on 5 August, the day after Britain entered the war. According to the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907, men of the T.F. were not obligated to serve overseas without their permission and so, on 31 August, the division was ordered to form a second-line reserve unit, the 2nd West Riding Division, formed mainly from those men who, for various reasons, chose not to volunteer for overseas service. The division, under the command of Major General Thomas Baldock, who had been in command since 1911, moved to the South Yorkshire/Lincolnshire area for concentration and spent the next few months engaged in training.[6] 

            By late March 1915, training had progressed to the point where the division was warned for a potential move overseas. By mid-April, the division was in France, and was to remain on the Western Front as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) for the rest of the war. Soon after arrival the division, although unfamiliar with trench warfare, was assigned to Lieutenant General Sir Henry Rawlinson's IV Corps of the BEF, and played a relatively minor role in the Battle of Aubers Ridge, where Major General Baldock, the divisional commander, was wounded in action. The division was redesignated the 49^th  (West Riding) Division on 15 May 1915 and given the White Rose of York as its insignia. The division's three brigades were also redesignated, the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd West Riding Brigades becoming the 146^th (1^st West Riding), 147^th (2^nd West Riding) and 148^th (3^rd West Riding) Brigades, respectively. After Aubers Ridge, the division, now commanded by Major General Edward Perceval, was not engaged in any major battles until 19 December 1915, when the division, now part of Lieutenant General John Keir's VI Corps, participated in the first Phosgene attack but suffered comparatively few losses.  

            The Commander Royal Engineers (C.R.E.) of the West Riding Division during its formation was Colonel Ralph Boughton Haywood.  The 2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company was commanded by Major F.L. Price, R.E. (T.F.).  The unit’s Company Sergeant Major was CSM E. Pheasey and other officers in the company included:[7] 

·       Lieutenant Edward A.O. Wever, R.E. (T.F.)

·       Lieutenant G.M. Borns, R.E. (T.F.)[8]

·       2^nd Lieutenant Hugh Rhodes, R.E. (T.F.).[9]

·       2^nd Lieutenant E.R. Glover, R.E. (T.F.) 

Officers Who Joined Later 

·         Lieutenant H.L. Butterworth, R.E.

·         2^nd Lieutenant E. Jackson, R.E. (joined 9 December 1915)

·         2^nd Lieutenant Rodgers, R.E. (full name not known) 

            Hobson completed his training at Chatham and joined the company at Fiskerton in Nottinghamshire in about March 1915.  He had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 3 November 1914[10] and to the rank of Temporary Captain on 27 March 1915,[11] making him Second-in-Command of the 2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company.[12]  

            The company was not with the division while it was engaged in the Battle of Aubers Ridge in May 1915.  In fact it was still at Fiskerton, where on 17 June 1915 the company was warned to prepare to proceed abroad.  According to the company’s war diary entries, made by Hobson as Second-in-Command, the unit moved to Southwell in Nottinghamshire on 18 June, then to Farnsfield, Notts on 19 June, arriving at Southampton of 20 June.[13] 

France (1915-1916) 

            The 2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company arrived at Le Havre, France on 21 June 1915 and joined the other units of the 49^th Divisional Engineers.  During the war the 49^th Divisional Engineers had experienced a number of changes:

·         The 1^st West Riding Field Company, R.E. had originally been with the division but left on 6 February 1915 and was later retitled the 455^th Field Company. 

·         The 2^nd West Riding Field Company, R.E. had originally been with the division and was later retitled the 456^th Field Company. 

·         The 2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company, R.E. joined the division in June 1915 as described above.  It was later retitled the 458^th Field Company. 

·         The 57^th Field Company, R.E., a Regular Army unit, joined the division in July 1915. 

·         The 49^th Divisional Signal Company, R.E. had originally been with the division. 

            By 30 June 1915 Hobson and his company were at Proven preparing to provide field engineering services to the division.  From the unit diary it appears that the company was ordered to work closely in support of the 146^th Brigade. 

            The company war diary contains an interesting letter of instruction, dated 9 July 1915, to all  divisional engineer field companies.  The content of the letter is summarized here: 

(1)   One R.E. Company should work with each Brigade Section. [NOTE: The term Brigade Section is meant to indicate a unit composed of infantry battalions along with all supporting units normally assigned to that brigade.  See the order of battle of 146^th Infantry Brigade below].

(2)   One Section thereof should work in close touch with the Brigadier in connection with work required on the front and supporting lines, communication trenches, wiring machine gun emplacements, dug-outs, etc. and in assisting in the formation and detail of Brigade Workshops.

(3)   One Section thereof to work on 2^nd Line under C.R.E. who will call on Infantry Brigades for necessary working parties and to supervise work going on on communication trench in Canal Bank.  [NOTE: The canal referred to is the YSER CANAL].

(4)   One section of one of the R.E. Companies to be responsible for the maintenance and repair of all Bridges.

(5)   One Section of two of the F. Companies to be employed on localities of CHATEAU DES TROIS TOURS and ELVERDINGHE.[14]

(6)   One Section of each F. Company in Reserve and employed on work of Divisional Workshop at R.E. Park. 

            The above letter provides interesting incite into the division commander’s concept for using his engineering assets and it establishes priority for work to be done under the situation as it existed when the letter was written.  The first instruction essentially told the C.R.E. to assign a company to support each brigade in the division, with the 2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company being assigned to support the 146^th Brigade.  This brigade (or brigade section) consisted of the following units:[15] 

• 1/5^th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)

• 1/6^th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)

• 1/7^th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)

• 1/8^th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) (until January 1918)

• 146^th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (from 27 January 1916, moved to 49^th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 1 March 1918)

• 146^th Trench Mortar Battery (from 12 June 1916)  

            On 22 July 1915 Major Price fell ill and was evacuated from the company to 1/2^nd (West Riding) Field Ambulance.  As the senior Captain in the company, Hobson assumed command of the unit.   Shortly thereafter, Lieutenant Colonel F.J. Howard, R.E. replaced Colonel Haywood as the C.R.E of the division.  On 7 August 1915 Lieutenant Colonel Howard issued a letter of instruction to the field companies from the Corps commander indicating that the priority of effort for the companies would be: 

1. Bridges

2. Tramways

3. Dug-outs

4. Trench Repairs

5. Miscellaneous  

            Hobson and his company had gotten closer to the front line by the time that this letter of instruction reached them.  On 9 August the company suffered its first casualty.  1433 Sapper O. Stephenson was wounded by a bullet in the arm.  On 12 August 1511 Sapper J. Daniels was hit in the leg by shrapnel and on 18 August a Corporal named Singleton was wounded by shrapnel in the hand and leg. 

            With the new responsibility given to Captain Hobson by making him Officer Commanding (O.C.) of the company, he was appointed a Temporary Major (T.F.) in the West Riding Divisional Engineers on 28 August.  2^nd Lieutenant Hugh Rhodes was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant on the same day.[16]

            Hobson continued to write the company war diary even after his appointment as the company’s O.C.  At the end of each month he prepared a summary in the diary of the company’s activities for that month, to include work done, casualties, promotions, replacements, awards and decorations, transfers and any other item he considered was necessary to give a complete history of the company. 

            As instructed by the C.R.E., the majority of Hobson’s company’s work was on bridges and tramways in the vicinity of the Yser Canal.  This work was accomplished with light casualties, with the company suffering four losses between 1 September and 1 October 1915.  These losses were: 

·     1735 Sapper F. Gandy, bullet wound (1 September).

·     1525 Sapper A. Peacock, wounded by shell fire (5 September).

·     1527 Sapper C.R. Booth, bullet wound (13 September).

·     2104 Sapper Haines, bullet wound (1 October). 

 
Figures 4 and 5.  Bridging the Yser Canal.
(Images courtesy of Wikipedia) 

            On 23 October 1915 the 2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company received a draft of 22 Sappers and 8 Drivers directly from England.  These replacements would be sorely needed, as the company continued to suffer casualties while working near the front line during November.  On 13 November 2663 Sapper H. Plant was wounded in the back by shrapnel and 1310 Sapper W. Ridge caught shrapnel in his right leg.  Then on 16 November 1418 Sapper G. Bailey was also hit by shrapnel in the leg. 

            Major Hobson received his first recognition of a job well done when Sir John French, in his despatch from the BEF General Headquarters, mentioned Hobson for “gallant and distinguished service in the field.”[17] 

            In December 1915 work continued on bridges and tramways in the Winnezeele-Boesinghe area and near the end of the month casualties took a sharp turn upward.  On 19 December 968 Sapper A. McClarence was slightly wounded in the forehead by shrapnel, but he was treated and returned to duty almost immediately.  The following day the company was to suffer its single greatest losses up to this point in the war. 

·         1537 Corporal E.K. Edgeley, shrapnel wound on the wrist.

·         1548 Lance Corporal A. Saxton, shrapnel wound in the hand.

·         1561 Sapper W. Moxon, shrapnel wound in the leg.

·         1435 Sapper N. Powell, shrapnel wounds in the back.

·         1475 Sapper W. Perkins, shrapnel wounds in the arm.

·         1620 Sapper F. Castledine, shrapnel wounds. 

            On 23 December 2^nd Corporal A.E. Marshall received a bullet wound in both legs.  He was the first Non-Commissioned Officer in the company to be wounded.  Then 28 December was another sad day for the company when it suffered its first fatalities.  2715 Sapper Ernest Bowring was killed in action by a shrapnel wound to the spine and 1531 Sapper S. Holroyd was killed in action by a shrapnel wound to the head.  In addition, 867 Sapper H. Shepherd was wounded by shrapnel to the left arm, leg and back and 2534 Sapper C.F. Cooper was hit by shrapnel in the shoulder. 

            Hobson was again Mentioned in Despatches on 1 January 1916.  The London Gazette citation lists him as “2^nd Lieutenant (Temporary Major), West Riding Divisional Engineers.”  He had yet to receive a substantive promotion above the rank of 2^nd Lieutenant. 

            On 4 February 1916 Lieutenant Harry Lewis Butterworth joined the company.  By 1 March Hobson and his company were at Martinsart, north of Albert and west of Thiepval.  And if casualties caused by the enemy were not enough, on 2 March 1457 Sapper C.F. Haigh was accidentally wounded.  No details are given in the war diary regarding this accident.  Could Haigh’s injury have been self-inflicted? 

            During early March Hobson’s company continued to move.  On 6 March they were at Senlis, to the northwest of Albert, and on the following day the company was at Puchevillers, north-north east of Amiens.  The company appears to have been selected to work in the X Corps rear area during the spring of 1916, but as June approached Hobson was involved in planning for the Somme offensive which was to take place sometime during the summer.  The division’s plan for the attack, Operation Order No. 45 dated 24 June 1916, is presented in the Figures below.  The day of the attack was designated “Z” Day, which of course history now knows as 1 July 1916.   It provides details of the objectives of each division in X Corps (32^nd and 36^th) with the 49^th Division in Corps reserve and generally describes the missions of the R.E. field companies, indicating that they will be “in a position of readiness in the assembly trenches in Aveluy Wood. 

Figure 6.  49^th Division Operation Order for the Somme Offensive (page 1)

(Image from the Company War Diary)

Figure 7.  49^th Division Operation Order for the Somme Offensive (page 2)

(Image from the Company War Diary)

Figure 8.  49^th Division Operation Order for the Somme Offensive (page 3)

(Image from the Company War Diary)

Figure 9.  146^th Infantry Brigade Operation Order for the Somme Offensive.

(Image from the Company War Diary)

            Figure 9 is the 146^th Infantry Brigade Operation Order, an attachment to the 49^th Division Op Order. A copy of this Brigade Op Order has been sent to the 2/1^st Field Company.  This appears to indicate that the company had been designated as direct support to this brigade, or perhaps even attached to it for the offensive.

            Much work by the field companies went into preparing for the attack and on 29 June 1916 the 49^th Division Assistant Adjutant & Quartermaster General, Lieutenant Colonel W.K. Legge, sent a message from the division commander commending the C.R.E. for the work done by the divisional engineers during the past four months. Presumably the greater part of this work had to do with the Somme offensive.

            The horrendous day of 1 July 1916 arrived and the 49^th Division, although designated the Corps reserve, took an active part in the attack.  The 2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company, in support of its brigade, suffered heavily as shown by Hobson’s casualty list below, covering the period from 1-9 July, while the company was at Aveluy Wood. 

            The Battle of Albert, or the Somme, officially lasted from 1-13 July 1916, however British forces continued to make gains on the ground until 19 November as shown in the map below.

Killed in action on 1 July 1916 

• 2456 Lance Corporal Albert Henry King

• 2422 Sapper T. Best

• 2719 Sapper Thomas Batty

• 968 Sapper Arthur McClarence

• 2380 Sapper Arthur Howard  

Wounded on 1 July 1916 

• 1413 Sapper A. Leggitt (shell shock)

• 1494 2^nd Corporal J. Lord

• 1659 Lance Corporal W. Beverley

• 2104 Sapper E. Haines

• 2380 Sapper A. Howard

• 1495 Sapper W. Lawson

• 1533 Sapper E. Fieldhouse (shell shock)  

Wounded on 2 July 1916 

• 1564 Lance Corporal A. Norton (bullet wound)  

Wounded on 4 July 1916 

• 1485 Sapper N. Powell

• 1465 Sergeant J.W. McKenny

• 1329 Sapper H.B. Miller

• 1516 Sapper C. Walker (shell shock)  

Wounded on 5 July 1916 

• 3524 Sapper G. Northcliffe

• 1499 Sapper W. Burein

• 3350 Sapper J. Cole

• 3668 Sapper J. Germaine

• 2394 Sapper J. Hinton

• 1517 Sapper J. Crossley (shell shock)  

Wounded on 6 July 1916 

• 1049 Sapper C.A. Madge

• 1655 Corporal B. Taylor

• 1480 2^nd Corporal N. Hawkins

• 1563 Lance Corporal W. Johnson

• 1632 Sapper J. Lambert

• 3704 Sapper H. Newton

• 1935 Sapper W. Rawlin  (shell shock)

• 1576 Sapper P. White

• 1020 Sapper T. Anthonies

• 2714 Sapper N. Carr  

Died of wounds (7 July 1916)

• 3668 Sapper J. Germaine died of wounds received on 5 July  

Killed in action on 7 July 1916 

• 1496 Sapper A. Froggatt  

Wounded on 7 July 1916 

• 2315 Sapper E. Hadwick

• 2954 Sapper J.W. Rogerson (shell shock)

• 3700 Sapper J. Balmforth

• 1999 Sapper E. Beckett  

Missing on 7 July 1916

• 1433 Corporal P. Overall

• 2989 Sapper E. Winter  

Killed in Action (8 July 1916)

• 2394 Sapper J. Hinton

• 2376 Sapper P.S. Price

• 521 Private C. Parker (RAMC)  

Wounded on 8 July 1916 

• 3687 Sapper B. Platts

• 3698 Sapper T.G. Haigh

• 1609 Corporal F. Ainley

• 1551 Lance Corporal H. Steer

• 1631 Sapper A. Cass

• 1847 Sapper A. Lord

• 2787 Sapper A. Scott

• 2796 Sapper Q.J. Trafford

• 1636 Sapper R. Welsh

• 1556 Sapper G. Wilson (shell shock)

• 1936 Sapper Mangham

• 2452 Sapper A.H. Popple

• 2216 Sapper P.A. Beale  

Wounded on 9 July 1916 

• 1393 Sapper L. Hathersmith

• 3703 Sapper J. Wild

• 1422 Sapper C. McKrell

• 2333 Sapper J. Fletcher (shell shock)[18]

             The map in Figure 10 shows that Aveluy Wood was in the III Corps area of the British Fourth Army during the Battle of the Somme.  From the company war diary it was noted that the unit was at that location during the battle. 

            Approximately five miles due east of Aveluy Wood is the town of Bazentin where Hobson’s company was engaged in the next battle from 14-17 July 1916.  During this period the company received a number of replacements from Le Havre including a draft of 12 Sappers and one Driver on 14 July and 4 NCOs, 17 Sappers and 5 Drivers on 15 July.

Figure 10.  Map of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July – 19 November 1916.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia) 

            2^nd Lieutenant Stanley Cotemore Jones had joined the company on 7 July and on 15 July three more officers joined the unit bringing the company’s total number of officers to nine.  These last three officers were: 

·         2^nd Lieutenant Hubert Cyril Oldrey, R.E.

·         2^nd Lieutenant Walter Francis Baines, R.E.

·         2^nd Lieutenant Reginald Percy Chamberlain, R.E. 

            Major Hobson’s last battle took place at Pozieres from 23 July to 28 August 1916.  On 27 July 1562 Lance Corporal W. Johnson was wounded and on 16 August Hobson received word that he was to be awarded the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.).[19]  On 28 August 1916, while on the front line in front of Thiepval Wood, Major Hobson was seriously wounded by a shell splinter.  Captain G.C. Foulds, an infantry officer of the West Yorkshire Regiment attached to Hobson’s company, was also severely wounded by the same shell.

            Major Hobson died on the way to the dressing station.  He was buried at Bouzincourt at Bouzincourt Church and later reinterred at Bouzincourt Communal Cemetery Extension.  Bouzincourt Church, the church of St. Honore, was destroyed during the war but reconstructed in 1920 in the shape of a bullet. 

Figure 11.  The Rebuilt Church at Bouzincourt. (Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Major Hobson’s award of the D.S.O. became effective on 22 September 1916.  The citation for the award read as follows: 

“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on many occasions.  By his absolute coolness in danger, he has set a magnificent example to his company, and has carried out important work under trying conditions.” 

            In a tribute to Hobson after his death, the General Officer Commanding the  49^th Division wrote: “He was a very capable and reliable officer, and was always cheerful; his brother officers and men were devoted to him. He behaved with great gallantry, especially on the occasion when he gained the D.S.O.  I feel that his death means a serious loss to the Division.” 

           The Adjutant of the Division wrote: “He was one of the finest men I have ever met, just as brave and fearless as a man can be.” 

           One of his men wrote: “Yesterday we had the great misfortune to lose our Major. I can tell you he was one of the best. We all liked him: he was always thoughtful and considerate of our welfare.” 

           A brother officer wrote: “One of the best and truest type of an Englishman, always happy, even-tempered and just.”[20] 

           Hobson was to receive an additional Mention in Despatches, this time by Sir Douglas Haig, on 4 January 1917.[21]  

           Probate of Allen (Alan) Faber Hobson’s Will took place at Wakefield, West Yorkshire on 8 February 1917.  His effects were left to Albert John Hobson, his father, and one Amy Hobson,[22] spinster in the amount of £24,655, 15 shillings and 4 pence (approximately $2,100,000 US in 2024 currency).[23]  Given that he entered the Army shortly after leaving university, it must be assumed that such a large amount of money had come from his father by way of his father’s manufacturing business. 

           On 30 November 1922 Allen’s 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal were sent to his father, Sir Albert J. Hobson, at Esholt, Ranmoor, Sheffield.  Presumably, his father also had received his D.S.O.[24] 

6. MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

As indicated above, Hobson was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the Great War trio of medals as shown below. 

Figure 12. The Distinguished Service Order, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal with Mentioned in Despatches Oak Leaf.
(Images from the author’s collection) 

NOTE: The medals shown above are not those of Major Hobson.  They are presented here for illustrative purposes only. 

Figure 13. The Medal Index Card of Major Allen (Alan) Faber Hobson, R.E.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

           The Medal Index Card shows Hobson’s first name as Alan, while London Gazette entries for him show his name as Allen. 

7.  Leslie Faber Hobson 

            Allen Hobson’s brother, Leslie Faber Hobson, was born on 24 April 1896 at Sheffield, Yorkshire.  He was commissioned in the 1/4^th (Hallamshire) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment[25] on 16 October 1914 and went to France on 11 May 1915.[26]

            The battalion was formed in August 1914 at Hyde Park Barracks in Sheffield as part of the 3^rd West Riding Brigade, West Riding Division. It had moved on mobilization to Doncaster and then moved in November 1914 to Gainsborough, going on in February 1915 to York.  On 14 April 1915 it landed at Boulogne and on 15 May the 3^rd West Riding Brigade became 148^th Brigade in 49^th  (West Riding) Division.[27]  2^nd Lieutenant Hobson and his battalion were sent to the Ypres Salient by June. Over the next six months the battalion lost 94 officers and men killed and 401 injured in the attritional war of the trenches.  Hobson was one of the officers lost.  He died on 11 July 1915 of wounds received in a communication trench north of Ypres on the previous day and was buried near Elverdinghe.  He was later disinterred and buried at Ferme-Olivier Cemetery, Plot 1, Row I, Grave 2. 

            His commanding officer wrote of him that: “As an officer, for one so young, he was really splendid, and his death is a great loss to the regiment.” 

            The Adjutant of his battalion wrote to Sir Albert: “It is a sad blow to lose your gallant boy, who was one of the best officers I have had under me, for in the short time he had been working he picked up what it took others two years to learn.”

            Like his brother, Leslie was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.  As he was only in France for three months before he was killed, he had little time to win any awards or to be Mentioned in Despatches.

Figure 14. The Medal Index Card of 2^nd Lieutenant Leslie Faber Hobson.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

            Probate of Leslie Hobson’s Will took place at Wakefield on 25 August 1915 with his effects going to Albert John Hobson, steel and cutlery manufacturer.  His effects amounted to £3,677, 5 shillings and 9 pence (about $ 462,500 US in 2024 currency), only about one-fifth of the money left by this brother Alan.  One wonders why such a large difference. 

            To commemorate the service of his two sons, Sir Albert John Hobson left the University of Sheffield £5,000 to build a sports pavilion at Norton in memory of his sons. 

Figure 15.  The Hobson Sports Pavilion.
(Image courtesy of South Yorkshire Local Heritage) 

REFERENCES: 

Books 

1. CAREY, G.V. (ed.).  The War List of the University of Cambridge, 1914-1918.  Cambridge University Press, 1921.

2. Sir John French’s Naval and Military Despatches Relating to Operations in the War, Part V, HMSO, 1915-1919.  

Census 

1. 1901 Census of England (RG 13/4345).

2. 1911 Census of England and Wales (RG 14/18599).  

Commonwealth War Graves Commission 

1. Bouzincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Index No. Fr. 296, p. 17.

2. Cemetery B. 1. Ferme-Olivier, Elverdinghe, Belgium, p. 18.

3. Memorial Page: Leslie Faber Hobson.  

De Ruvigny Roll of Honor 

1. Alan Faber Hobson.

2. Leslie Faber Hobson.  

Family Trees 

1. Alan Faber Hobson (by Ancestry.com: Getcorporate).

2. Albert John Hobson (by Ancestry.com: Getcorporate); father.

3. Leslie Faber Hobson (by Ancestry.com: Podds2); brother.  

Internet Web Sites 

1. Wikipedia: 49^th (West Riding) Infantry Division.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49th_(West_Riding)_Infantry_Division

2. Art UK

https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/sir-albert-john-hobson-18611923-lord-mayor-of-sheffield-1911-70867

3. South Yorkshire Local Heritage List.

https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/south-yorkshire/asset/6034

4. Hallamshire Battalion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallamshire_Battalion 

London Gazette 

1. The London Gazette, 29 September 1914, p. 7701.

2. Supplement to the London Gazette, 17 June 1915, p. 5856.

3. Supplement to the London Gazette, 5 July 1915, p. 6564.

4. Supplement to the London Gazette, 29 November 1915, p. 11915.

5. Supplement to the London Gazette, 1 January 1916, pp. 1 and 28.

6. Supplement to the London Gazette, 22 September 1916, p. 9268.

7. Supplement to the London Gazette, 4 January 1917.  

Medal Rolls and Index Cards 

1. Royal Engineers 1914-15 Star Medal Roll: A.F. Hobson.

2. Royal Engineers British War Medal and Victory Medal Roll: A.F. Hobson.

3. York and Lancaster Regiment 1914-15 Medal Roll: L.F. Hobson.

4. York and Lancaster Regiment British War Medal and Victory Medal Roll: L.F. Hobson.

5. Medal Index Card: Alan Faber Hobson.

6. Medal Index Card: Leslie Faber Hobson.  

Military Documents 

1. War Diary of the 2/1^st (West Riding) Field Company, R.E. (T.F.).

2. 49^th Division Commanders Letter of 9 July 1915, re: Allocation of Field Company Sections to Brigades.

3. 49^th Division C.R.E. Instructions to Field Companies, dated 7 August 1915, re: Work Priorities.

4. 49^th Division Operation Order, dated 24 June 1916, re: Somme Offensive (SECRET).

5. 146^th Infantry Brigade Operation Order, dated 25 June 1916, re: Somme Offensive (SECRET).

6. 49^th Division C.R.E. Memo to Field Companies, dated 29 June 1916, re: Preparation for the Offensive (CONFIDENTIAL).  

Periodicals 

Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers.  The Royal Engineers Journal.  The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1925-1932. 

Probate Calendars 

1. 1915: Leslie Faber Hobson, p. 155.

2. 1917: Alan Faber Hobson, p. 177.

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