No.32941, Lance Corporal, Raymond Victor HOBBS
Aged 22
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Raymond Victor Hobbs was born in Burwell (Newmarket Q3-1896 3b:530) the son of Francis John and Jessie HOBBS(née MANSFIELD).
1901 census...Aged 4, he was at The Causeway, Burwell with his father Francis J.HOBBS [37] carpenter; his mother Jessie [32]; sister Verena F. [3] and grandmother Elizabeth MANSFIELD [59]. All were born in Burwell. 1911 census...Aged 14, a doctor's page, he was lodging at 34 Thoday Street, Cambridge with widow Sarah ELBOURNE. His parents were at North Street, Burwell with his grandmother Elizabeth MANSFIELD and his sister Alma Joys [3] born Thetford. Four of Jessie's seven children had died. The pension card has his mother at High Street, Burwell but that is crossed out and Amelia added, at Ebeneezer Cottage, The Causeway, Burwell. No lcue as to who Amelia was, he appears never to have married. |
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Raymond enlisted in King's Lynn while resident at Terrington St.Clements.
The 1st Essex,(88th Brigade) had just reached Arras at 3 pm on the 12th April when they were ordered to relieve the 37th Brigade near Monchy -le-Preux, about four miles away. Thanks to congestion on the road it was 3 am on the 13th before they reached Monchy. They were then readied, together with a Newfoundland Battalion to attack the German trenches and were ready by 5 am. The attack was however called off 5 minutes before zero hour due to insufficient preparation. Another attack was timed for 2 pm but this was also cancelled, so the 2nd Hampshires dug an assembly trench and the attacked was finally decided upon for early morning on the 14th April. At 5:30am on the 14th after a barrage the battalion left the trenches and carried out the attack, and despite the weakness of the barrage, all companies reached their objective and by 6:30 were busy digging in. Large forces of the enemy could be seen in the BOIS du SART & the BOIS des AUBE PINES and all covering parties that were sent forward were at once coming under heavy machine gun & rifle fire. Artillery cover was called for as a counter attack was expected, but the wires had been cut and there was an hours delay before the guns opened fire. 'X' Company were overrun by the Germans who got between Monchy and the companies of the Essex and Newfoundlanders and no men returned from those companies. Although no Germans entered Monchy, an intense enemy barrage prevented reinforcements reaching the men there, but they had broken up an attacked designed to re take Monchy. From a strength of 31 officers and 892 other rank, casualties amounted to 17 officers and 644 other ranks. Those that were left were withdrawn to Arras on Sunday 15th. CWGC records 1st Essex dead of all ranks as 187, of which only 6 have identified graves. |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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