HOBBS, Ernest
No. 12179, Private, Ernest William HOBBS
Aged 19
7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Monday 3rd July, 1916
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Born in Soham in Q1-1897,[Newmarket 3b:539] son of George and Selina HOBBS (née BAILEY), Southfield Farm, Newmarket. 1901 census...At Southfield Farm were Ernest [4], with his father George [36] a horse keeper, his mother Selina[34] and sisters Hannah [13] and Rosina [11], all born in Soham, and then brother Percy[2], born in Exning, 1911 census...His sisters had left home and Ernest (a farm labourer) was still at Southfield Farm with his parents and brother Percy. They were still there on his pension card The two Exning men mentioned below were Edward DICKER and William PITCHES whose names are on the Thiepval Memorial. Contrary to the entry in "Our Exning Heroes", at least, out of the three men, Ernest's body was found later. Ernest's entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads as follows: Hobbs, E.W. 7th Suffolks. Ernest William Hobbs was educated at the Council and Wesleyan Sunday School, and joined up at the outbreak of the war, although he was only 17 ½. When his leave became due, owing to circumstances at the front he was unable to come home, and his parents never saw him again. He was reported missing with Edward Dicker and William Pitches, on July 3rd, 1916, at the offensive on the Somme, and no trace of him was found, nor was anything heard of him again. About a year after information was sent from the War Office that he must have been killed. Before the war he worked for the Jockey Club on Southfield Farm, and was only nineteen when he was killed. He was very fond of football. |
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On July 3rd the battalion, under the command of Major GH Henty, took part in the frontal attack on Ovillers. In this operation the 12th Div. attacked on a two
brigade front, the 35th on the right, with the 5th Berkshire (right) and 7th Suffolk (left)in the front line. The 37th Brigade was on the left. The battalion
attacked in 8 successive waves, the leading ones starting ten minutes before zero hour, which had been fixed for 3.15 am. The first 4 waves penetrated as far
as the enemy's third line, some of them getting into the village itself; but owing to the darkness the succeeding waves lost touch, enabling the Germans to
surge in and cut them off. At the 3rd line of resistance, after very severe fighting, the attack was brought to a standstill, the battalion losing very heavily.
All the company commanders were killed, Major Henty and Lts Bowen,Taylor and Hood being the only officers to come through untouched. Casualties amounted to 470
of all ranks. On record with CWGC there are 159 of the 7th Battalion killed that day. mostly either buried in Ovillers Cemetery or named on the Thiepval Memorial.
Thus, at the battle of Albert, this battalion was almost destroyed. The remnants stayed in the trenches till July 8th The 7th Suffolks had 156 killed this day, only 45 have identified graves Ernest was not found until 1919, in the field around the cemetery where he now rests.
© Roy Beardsworth
Believed to be Ovillers Military Cemetery around 1920 Ernest is buried in Ovillers Military Cemetery, France...Ref: VI.Q.9 click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
