John Graham Hobbs

Memorial: Kingswood - Holy Trinity Church

Regiment: Royal Garrison Artillery

Medals: 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Silver War Badge, Victory Medal

Rank and number: Gunner 45965

Parents: Henry (Harry) and Annie Hobbs

Marital status: Married

Home address: 3 Summerhill Cottages, Summerhill Road, St. George, Bristol

Pre-war occupation: Baker

Date of birth: 1890

Place of birth: Kingswood, Bristol

Date of death: 03/05/1917

Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France and commemorated on Kingswood Holy Trinity Memorial

Age: 26

Further information:

John (usually known as Graham) was born and raised in Kingswood, the second eldest of six children with four brothers and a sister. His father was a baker and after a short period serving with the Royal Navy as a stoker at HM Dockyard Devonport Plymouth, John joined his father in the bakery business.

John signed up to the Royal Artillery in 1914 at the age of 24 and returned home on leave to marry Elizabeth Ann Clothier, a former box maker, on 12th March 1917. Olive May was born 3 weeks later on the 3rd April 1917, but John died exactly one month after her birth, so it is unlikely that he ever saw his daughter.

John mobilised to France in August 1916 with the 133rd RGA Siege Battery, where they would have taken part in various actions on the Western Front. John was admitted to hospital on 25th April and died 8 days later from wounds. He was buried at Wimereux which was the location of the 2nd Australian General military hospital during WW1. It is possible that he received his wounds during the Battle of Arras.

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/