Hobbs, Ronald

Gosford District Casualties of World War One

Bragg, Edmund Allen Service Number 1494

Killed in Action 19th May 1915 Gallipoli Peninsula

Gosford District Casualties of World War One

Hobbs, Ronald Stanley Service Number “Lieutenant”

Died of Wounds 5th April 1918 9th Field Ambulance Forward Dressing Station,

France

Gosford City Council gratefully acknowledges the voluntary efforts of

Benalyn Campbell

And Vivienne Tranter

in compiling this resource

The information in this file has been extracted from official records

held in the

The Australian War Memorial and

National Archives of Australia

(© Commonwealth of Australia [National Archives of Australia] 2013)

Further information on this soldier may be found online at:

Commonwealth War Graves

The AIF project

Content advisory: This file may potentially contain disturbing accounts of service-related injury and death, disease and family grief. Adult supervision is recommended for children

using these resources. Individual files should be viewed within the context

provided by wider research on service conditions in the 1st AIF.

This resource is presented by Gosford City Council

for research purposes only. Please note that copyright for resources

contained within remains with the original copyright owners.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en

NAME Hobbs, Ronald Stanley

SERVICE NO

UNIT 36th Battalion/ 5

th Rienf.

RANK 2nd

Lieutenant/ 20 May 1916

AGE at Enlistment 27 yrs 2 mths (DOB 13 Aug 1888).

PLACE OF BIRTH Balmain, NSW

ADDRESS 31 John St. Woollahra

OCCUPATION School Teacher

DATE OF ENLISTMENT 17 Nov 1915

PLACE OF ENLIST-MENT

Casula, NSW

PREVIOUS SERVICE Nil

NEXT OF KIN Father;- Alfred James Hobbs Esq., Mann St. Gosford, Mother;- Margaret Hobbs, as above/later Albany St Gosford

PHYSICAL DESCRIP-TION

Height-5’5½”. Weight-148lbs. Chest-33-37”. Complexion-Fresh. Eyes-Blue. Hair-Fair.

RELIGION C/E

EMBARKED 9 Nov 1916 –Sydney per A24 “Benalla”

DISEMBARKED 9 Jan 1917- Devonport.

NOTES London Gazette 13 May 1918- Australian Gazette 165 24 Oct 1918

WOUNDED/ILLNESS 4 Apr 1918- Machine Gun Fire-Stomach wound- Villers-Bretonneux

DIED 5 Apr 1918- 9th Field Ambulance Forward Dressing Station

BURIED 5 Apr 1918-Isolated Gve 2 miles West of Villers-Bretonneux Re-interred;- Adelaide Brit Cem. Sth of Corbie, France. Plot 1 Row F Gve 13.

MEDALS British War Medal-53066, Victory Medal-52304. Memorial Plaque & Scroll-357684 Military Cross

DEPENDANTS

PERSONAL EFFECTS 1 Brown Valise containing;- 1 pr S D Slacks, 1 pr Breeches, 1 Shirt, 1 Haver-sack, 1 Testament, 1 Cigarette Case, 4 Stars, Straps, 2 Discs./ 1 Uniform Case cont;- 1 pr Cord Breeched, 1 pr Drill Slacks, 1 pr S D Slacks, 1 S D Tunic, 1 pr Leggings, 1 pr Boots, 4 Singlets, 1 pr Underpants, 1 White Scarf, 2 Towels, 3 Shirts, Handkerchiefs, 1 pr Hand Cuffs, 1 only Iron Stirrup, 2 Sword Frogs, 1 pr Spurs, 1 Cigarette Holder, Buttons & Stars, 1 Knife, 1 Spoon, Collars, Ties, 1 Shoulder Strap, 1 Linen Bag, Socks, 1 pr Knee Pads, 1 Coat Hanger, 1 Clothes Brush, 1 pr Gloves, 1 Fez, 1 Leather Cardigan Jacket, 1 Kit Bag, 1 Cigarette Case, 1 Gun Metal Wristlet Watch, 1 Sm Knife, Postcards, Photos, 1 Protractor, 1 Rubber Stamp & Pad, Photos of King re-ceiving Australian Troops/ 1 Parcel cont;- Photos, Photo Wallet, Tobacco Pouch, Diary, French Coins, 2 Metal Brooches, Whistle & Lanyard, Metal Wrist Watch Strap, Black Cat Charm, Throwing Certificate (Bomb)/ All above personal Effects were lost on the sinking of the “Barunga” in transit to Australia

WILL

CORRESPONDENCE Mother /

REMARKS Brother;- Nicholas Hamlyn Hobbs, MC- 18th Btn.

Gosford Times 12th November 1915 Mr Roy Hobbs, son of Mr A J Hobbs, of Gosford, has enlisted, having vacated a position on the Education Department Relieving Staff. Mr Hobbs has now two sons in khaki, and also a brother who is on the HMAS Australia.

Gosford Times 7th July 1916 Mr Roy Hobbs, son of Mr and Mrs A J Hobbs, of Gosford, who enlisted some time ago, won his commission at Duntroon, and is attached to Newcastle Camp Mr Hobbs has two sons now in khaki, and both have won commissions.

Gosford Times 18th April 1918 Died of Wounds Still another of our brave lads is numbered among the slain, in the person of Lieutenant Ronald Stanley Hobbs, third eldest son of Mr and Mrs A J Hobbs, of Mann Street Gosford. It fell to Rev A Renwick on Mon-day afternoon last to convey the sad intelligence to teh parents that their soldier son had died in France on 5

th

April from wounds received in battle. The name "Roy" Hobbs adds one more to the long list of heroes whose noble deeds, bravery, and self sacrifice at the present time embellish the golden scroll of fame of the Bris-bane Water district. Our sympathy goes out to the be-reaved parents and the family generally in this case, as it has, and will do, in all others of like character. De-ceased was born at Balmain nearly thirty years ago, and he was reared and educated at Gosford. Entering the teaching profession he was stationed at Erina, The Hawkesbury, and Grafton, and prior ro enlisting two years ago was on the relieving staff. He obtained his commission at Duntroon Collage, and sailed for the front 15 months ago. After the usual period of training in England he crossed over to France, where, like thousands of other Australian heroes, he laid down his life fighting the enemies of his country. How appropri-ate are the lines of Macaulay at a time like this:- For how can man die better Than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers And the country of his gods?

Gosford Times 9th May 1918 Mr A J Hobbs has received a cable stating that his son, Lieut Ronald Hobbs, who died of wounds in France on 5

th April, has been awarded the Military Cross. This is the second son of Mr and Mrs Hobbs to win the

cross for bravery on the field of battle.

Gosford Times 23rd May 1918 Mr A J Hobbs, of Gosford, is pardonably proud of the fact that of his two sons who went to the war both won their commissions and both were awarded the Military Cross for deeds of valor on the battlefield.

Gosford Times 13th June 1918 Late Lieut Hobbs Mrs A J Hobbs, of Gosford, has received the following letter referring to the death of her son, Lieutenant Ronald S Hobbs ;- Headquarters, 36

th Battalion, AIF, 8

th April, 1918- Dear

Mrs Hobbs, _No officer ever won his way to our hearts quicker than did your son, and few have proven them-selves so quickly and so positively. Four months ago we did not know him. To day there is not an officer or man who does not personally mourn his loss and ad-mire him for the splendid work he did. It is only to as-sist in stopping the Hun push that advice was received that you son had been awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and devotion to duty during a raid conducted on the enemy in the vicinity of Ploegsteert on the 4

th

March, 1918 and now, precisely a month later, he has been killed in a greater operation in which he con-ducted himself with no less distinction. In the midst of a charge launched against an advancing enemy, who was promptly routed, a rifle bullet passed through his body, and he died whilst being conducted to the dress-ing station. He had been buried in the military ceme-tery in the Bois d'Aquenne, on the main road from Villers Bretonneux to Amiens. There is little more I can say, I know you cannot but grieve at the loss of so fine a son, so gallant a soldier; we his comrades, mourn his loss greatly, for he had endeared himself to us. But I should like to feel that your pride in his brilliant achievements, and in the estimation with which he is regarded by his comrades, will alleviate the pain, and that you will be able to thank God that, if his career was short, it was doubly glorious. In fullest sympathy, which is shared by the whole Battalion, your, &c, J A MILN, Lieut-Colonel commanding 36

th Battalion, AIF

[Lieut-Colonel Milne has since fallen in battle.]

Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 5265436



































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Hobbs, Ronald