Edward Hobson

Edward Hobson

Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1875
Place of Birth	Macclesfield, Cheshire, England
Death	7 Apr 1928, aged 53
Place of Death	Claremont, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	41 years
Description	5'7" tall ; 130lbs 58.967 kg ; dark complexion ; grey eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Fireman
Religion	Church of England
Address	Albany road, East Cannington
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Ursula Hobson
Military Information
Reg Number	6273
Date of Enlistment	29 Mar 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion, 20th Reinforcement
Date of Embarkation	10 Oct 1916 ‒ 2 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A23 Suffolk
Date of Return	21 Jul 1918 ‒ 11 Sep 1918
Ship Returned On	HMAT A36 Boonah
Fate	Wounded in action 11 Apr 1917 Bullecourt Returned to Australia
Monument	none as yet
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entry: Norwood road, Burswood, trainer.

War Service

Entered Blackboy Hill camp as a member of the 57th Depot Company before being allocated to the 20th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion and he sailed with them to England aboard HMAT A23 Suffolk, disembarking on 2 Dec 1916. On 16 Jan 1917 Edward proceeded to France through Folkestone aboard HMT Princess Victoria and five days later was taken on strength by the 16th Battalion who at the time were in Mametz camp.

On 11 Apr 1917 the 16th Battalion participated in the attack on the German front lines between Bullecourt and Reincourt that formed part of the Hindenberg Line. A poorly planned adventure, they took extremely heavy casualties. Of the 17 Officers and 700 men who participated in the attack, only 3 Officers and 87 men made it back to their start point safely. Edward's injury was classified as a shell wound to the left side of his forehead, having been hit by a fragment which fractured his skull. Treated by the 56th Casualty Clearing Station the same day, he was placed on an Ambulance Train for Etratert where he was admitted to the 1st General Hospital on 13 Apr 1917. Here the fragment was removed before he was then evacuated to England from Le Havre on 25 Apr 1917 aboard HMHS Grantully Castle.

On arrival in England he was admitted to the 2nd London General Hospital in Bristol on 26 Apr 1917. Once he was well enough, he was granted furlough from 29 May to 12 Jun 1917. Edward was held in Weymouth at No.2 Command Depot for more than a year before he was repatriated to Australia unfit for further active service. Hospitalised briefly in the 8th Australian General Hospital at Fremantle from 11 - 17 Sep 1918 before being discharged at 5th Military District on 1 Oct 1918.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries: 1921 c/- Merklam's Stores, Nedlands, brewery employee; 1925 at 25 Prowse street, Nedlands. Following Edward's death, in 1931 Ursula was living in Wooton street, Wiluna, and in 1934 Ursula remarried to Robert H Foster in the East Murchison district.