David Hobbs (1892 - 1916)

Born 1 Nov 1892 in Lurgan, Armagh, Ireland

Died 1 Jul 1916 at age 23 in Somme, France

Biography

• Roll of Honor
• Died in Military Service
  

  Rifleman David Hobbs was Killed in Action at The Somme during World War I.

Census Years1901ArmaghLurgan UrbanAnn StreetResidents of a house

Residents of a house 39 in Ann Street (Lurgan Urban, Armagh)

Hobbs Robert 51 Male Head of Family Prespterian County Armagh Linen Weaver

Hobbs Deborah 45 Female Wife Prespterian County Armagh Tapserwer

Hobbs Andrew 22 Male Son Prespterian County Armagh General Labourer

Hobbs Elizabeth 20 Female DaughterPrespterian County Armagh Dawer of Hand Kerchief

Hobbs Miney 18 Female DaughterPrespterian County Armagh Drawer of Hand Kerchief

Hobbs Agnegs 16 Female DaughterPrespterian County Armagh Dryer of Handkerchief

Hobbs Robert 13 Male Son Prespterian County Armagh Message Boy

Hobbs Sarah 11 Female DaughterPrespterian County Armagh

Hobbs David 7 Male Son Prespterian County Armagh

Hobbs Herbert 4 Male Son Prespterian County Armagh^[1]

Census Years1911ArmaghLurgan UrbanHill Street (part of)Residents of a house

Residents of a house 13 in Hill Street (part of) (Lurgan Urban, Armagh)

Hobbs Deborah 52 Female Head of Family Presbyterian Church TegnavinWidow 35 10 9

Hobbs Minnie 29 Female DaughterPresbyterian Church Lurgan Smoother in Linen Factory

Hobbs Agness 26 Female DaughterPresbyterian Church Lurgan Smother in Factory

Hobbs Robert 24 Male Son Presbyterian Church Lurgan Labourer General

Hobbs Sarah 21 Female DaughterPresbyterian Church Lurgan Winder Linen

Hobbs David 17 Male Son Presbyterian Church Lurgan

Hobbs Herbert George 14 Male Son Presbyterian Church Lurgan^[2]

Private HOBBS, DAVID

Service Number 14305

Died 01/07/1916

9th Bn.

Royal Irish Fusiliers^[3]

Woman’s four sons all reported dead on first day of Somme

Published: 11:49 am

November 6, 2018

by Mark Rainey

On July 8, 1916, a telegram boy cycling along a street of modest, terrace houses in Lurgan, Co Armagh stops at the home of a Mrs Deborah Hobbs.

He checks the address – 143 Union Street – and then knocks the door. A special mark used on the envelope informed the boy not to expect any reply.

The lady of the house opens the impersonal, brief note to discover that all four of her Royal Irish Fusiliers sons – David, Andrew, Robert and Herbert – have been killed or are ‘missing in action’ following the first day of the Somme offensive a week previously.

The telegram boys cycles off in search of this next house leaving the distraught mother alone with her grief. Accounts from the time record how neighbours reported Mrs Hobbs fainting from the shock.

She was later informed that one of her sons, Private Herbert Hobbs, had been found alive but seriously wounded on the battlefield.

The inspiration for Saving Private Ryan

The chain of events that followed was to be replicated in the plot line of the Hollywood blockbuster movie set in World War Two – Saving Private Ryan.

When it became apparent to the military authorities that three of the four Hobbs brothers had been killed, the order was given to have the surviving brother shipped back to Ireland out of harm’s way.

After a lengthy convalescence in the south of England, he returned to Lurgan where he died in 1947.

In an interview with the Lurgan Mail in 1966 a sister of the four soldiers, Agnes Hobbs aged 82, recalled the effect the loss of three sons had on her mother.

“When my mother got the letter from Captain Gibson telling her that her sons were dead, she took it to bed and never recovered,” she said.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Lurgan_Urban/Ann_Street/1024707/
2. ↑ http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Armagh/Lurgan_Urban/Hill_Street__part_of_/295966/
3. ↑ https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/792256/hobbs,-david/
4. ↑ https://www.newsletter.co.uk/read-this/remembrance-day-four-sons-reported-dead-first-day-somme/?fbclid=IwAR30tZf2E4EKf-vpTUV6z1woVCo79u6Oph9UtPzx96p6tNnzMJpn0F1r63I/