Sergeant Frederick John Hobson

1873 - 1917  (43 years)

• Name	Frederick John Hobson
  Prefix	Sergeant
  Born	23 Sep 1873	St. Pancras, London, Middlesex, England   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1914	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	store keeper
  Residence	1914	69 South St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Died	18 Aug 1917	Near, Lens, , Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France   [2]
  Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region	Bef 2012	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Honoured	Hobson St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Hobson Street named in his honour
  Honoured	plaque
  	A triple-plaque unveiling was held at Valour Place, Cambridge Armoury, on May 7. The Ontario Heritage Foundation erected a plaque in honor of Sgt . Frederick Hobson, VC (1873-1917). The WHS supported the family's request for this plaque. Otherplaques honor Lieut. Samuel Honey,VC, DCM, MM; and Capt . George F.Kerr, VC, MC, and Bar, MM. They were also honored with OHF plaques in thecounties in which they were born. These men were living in Galt when they enlisted.
  Medals	Victoria Cross - WW1
  Military	WW1
  		Hobson,Fred-WW1.jpg
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-32325P
  Buried	Vimy Memorial, , Pas De Calais, France   [2]
  Person ID	I32325	Generations
  Last Modified	26 Jun 2024

  
  

  Family	Louise Alice Esther Moses,   b. CA 1884,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	12 Jun 1904	London, England
  Last Modified	26 Jun 2024
  Family ID	F51867	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Frederick Hobson from Waterlo Region Hall of Fame

  
  

• Notes

  During a strong enemy counter-attack a Lewis gun in a forward post in a communication trench leading to the enemy lines, was buried by a shell, and the crew, with the exception of one man, was killed. Sergt. Hobson, though not a gunner, grasping the great importance of the post, rushed from his trench, dug out the gun, and got it into action against the enemy who were now advancing down the trench and across the open. A jam caused the gun to stop firing. Though wounded, he left the gunner to correct the stoppage, rushed forward at the advancing enemy and, with bayonet and clubbed rifle, single-handed, held them back until he himself was killed by a rifle shot. By this time however, the Lewis gun was again in action and reinforcements shortly afterwards arriving, the enemy were beaten off. The valour and devotion to duty displayed by this non-commissioned officer gave the gunner the time required to again get the gun into action, and saved a most serious situation. An extract from "The London Gazette," dated October 17, 1917 __________________________ Frederick Hobson Frederick Hobson was born in London, England on 23 September 1873. After seeing action with the British Army during the South African War (1899-1902), he came to Canada and settled in Galt (now Cambridge), Ontario. Being 41 years old when he went to the recruiting office shortly after the First World War began, Hobson gave his year of birth as 1875 so that he would be allowed to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. On 18 August 1917 Sergeant Hobson was serving with the 20th Infantry Battalion on Hill 70, near Lens in France. During a German counterattack on the Canadian lines, a Lewis light machine gun in a forward position was buried by a shell explosion that killed all but one of the its crew. Hobson hurried to the site, dug out the Lewis gun, and got it back into action against the attacking enemy soldiers. When the gun jammed, Sergeant Hobson, though wounded, left the gunner to clear the stoppage and advanced alone to confront the Germans. Using his bayonet and rifle butt, he held them at bay until he was killed by a rifle shot. By that time the Lewis gun was again firing, and shortly after reinforcements arrived to defeat the counterattack. For these actions Sergeant Hobson was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously. DHH - Victoria Cross Bios - Frederick Hobson. (2016). Cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca. Retrieved 5 May 2016, from https://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/gal/vcg-gcv/bio/hobson-f-eng.asp ________________ SERGEANT FREDERICK HOBSON VC 1873-1917 Born in England, Frederick Hobson immigrated to Canada in 1904 after serving in the South African War. He settled in Galt, Ontario with his family. In 1914, when war broke out, he enlisted with the 20th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his brave action at Hill 70, near Lens, France on August 18, 1917. While under attack, Frederick rushed from his trench, reactivated a buried Lewis gun, and engaged the advancing German soldiers single-handedly. Waterloo Region Museum \\ Inductees - G to I. (2016). Waterlooregionmuseum.com. Retrieved 5 May 2016, from https://www.waterlooregionmuseum.com/region-hall-of-fame/inductees-g-to-i/

  
  

• Sources

  [S157] Military - Canada - World War I - Attestation papers. Frederick Hobson Birth Date: 23 Sep 1873 Birth Location: London, England Relative: Louise Hobson Regiment Number: 57113 [S2007] Military - Canada - War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death. Frederick Hobson Death Date: 18 Aug 1917 Rank: Sergeant Unit: 20th Battalion Service number: 57113 Cemetery Location: Vimy Memorial "Killed in Lotion." During a strong enemy counter-attack North Vest of Lens he dug out a Lewis gun which had been buried by a shell in a forward post in a communication trench and got the gun into action against the enemy until a jam caused it to stop firing. Though wounded he then rushed forward with rifle and bayonet and held the enemy back until killed by a rifle bullet. [S220] Waterloo Region Hall of Fame Waterloo Region Hall of Fame.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 23 Sep 1873 - St. Pancras, London, Middlesex, England Married - 12 Jun 1904 - London, England Occupation - store keeper - 1914 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1914 - 69 South St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 18 Aug 1917 - Near, Lens, , Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region - Bef 2012 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Honoured - Hobson Street named in his honour - - Hobson St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Vimy Memorial, , Pas De Calais, France  = Link to Google Earth