Lt Col
Edgar Roberts Mobbs
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 29/06/1882 |
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Place of birth: Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: St. Martin's Billing-Road, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Manager of motor garage |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Lieutenant Colonel |
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Units: — Northamptonshire Regiment, 7th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
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Place of death: Lower Star Post, Zillebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 35 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 43 O |
Distinctions and medals 3
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British War Medal Medal |
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Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 5
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Memorial | ||
| #4 | Memorial | ||
| #5 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Edgar Roberts Mobbs was born on 29 June 1882, the son of Oliver L. and Elizabeth Anne Mobbs. Edgar played rugby for clubs including the East Midlands and the Barbarians until 1913. He played his last match as captain of the England team against France in 1910. Like his father, Edgar also worked as manager of a motor garage.
In August 1914, he was rejected for the British army because he was 32 years old. He then formed his own company of around 250 like-minded sportsmen. They became known as the Sportsmen of Mobbs' Own. They would become part of the 7th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment. Edgar Roberts Mobbs rose rapidly through the ranks: on 14 September 1914 he was appointed Sergeant. He became a temporary Lieutenant on 14 October 1915, followed by his appointment as temporary Captain on 1 July 1915 and temporary Major on 28 September 1915. Finally, on 23 April 1916, he became battalion commander as a Lieutenant Colonel.
He arrived in France in September 1917. Shortly afterwards, he was wounded near Loos when a bullet grazed his nose. In 1916, he was badly wounded by a shrapnel in the shoulder and spent a short time in hospital. He was wounded for a third time near Messines in June 1917, but rejoined his battalion three weeks later.
Edgar was mortally wounded and died on 31 July 1917, the day the Battle of Pasendale began. The German army seemed to be expecting the Allied attack. The alert Germans provided heavy artillery fire, which slowed the Allied advance. Moreover, it was difficult for the Allied troops to maintain a proper line at first light. They lost their direction and became disoriented. After a German machine-gun post near Jeer Trench had been disabled and the trench taken, the German troops opened fire again, but this time from Lower Star Post. It was at this point that Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Roberts Mobbs also arrived on the scene, along with 2nd Lieutenant Berridge. Edgar, with only a handful of men, attacked an enemy machine gun post and was mortally wounded. According to his personal file, he wrote down the locations of enemy artillery just before his death.
In his honour, the Mobbs Memorial Match was organised in Northampton. This annual rugby match features his former teams, East Midlands and the Barbarians. In Northampton, a memorial has also been erected in Abbington Square and the Edgar Mobbs Way has been named in his honour. In Shrewsbury Forest, where Edgar was killed, a memorial has been erected by his family and the Crooked Hooker, an association of former Northampton Saints players.
Today he has no known grave, but Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Roberts Mobbs is commemorated on plaque 43 of the Menin Gate Memorial.
In August 1914, he was rejected for the British army because he was 32 years old. He then formed his own company of around 250 like-minded sportsmen. They became known as the Sportsmen of Mobbs' Own. They would become part of the 7th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment. Edgar Roberts Mobbs rose rapidly through the ranks: on 14 September 1914 he was appointed Sergeant. He became a temporary Lieutenant on 14 October 1915, followed by his appointment as temporary Captain on 1 July 1915 and temporary Major on 28 September 1915. Finally, on 23 April 1916, he became battalion commander as a Lieutenant Colonel.
He arrived in France in September 1917. Shortly afterwards, he was wounded near Loos when a bullet grazed his nose. In 1916, he was badly wounded by a shrapnel in the shoulder and spent a short time in hospital. He was wounded for a third time near Messines in June 1917, but rejoined his battalion three weeks later.
Edgar was mortally wounded and died on 31 July 1917, the day the Battle of Pasendale began. The German army seemed to be expecting the Allied attack. The alert Germans provided heavy artillery fire, which slowed the Allied advance. Moreover, it was difficult for the Allied troops to maintain a proper line at first light. They lost their direction and became disoriented. After a German machine-gun post near Jeer Trench had been disabled and the trench taken, the German troops opened fire again, but this time from Lower Star Post. It was at this point that Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Roberts Mobbs also arrived on the scene, along with 2nd Lieutenant Berridge. Edgar, with only a handful of men, attacked an enemy machine gun post and was mortally wounded. According to his personal file, he wrote down the locations of enemy artillery just before his death.
In his honour, the Mobbs Memorial Match was organised in Northampton. This annual rugby match features his former teams, East Midlands and the Barbarians. In Northampton, a memorial has also been erected in Abbington Square and the Edgar Mobbs Way has been named in his honour. In Shrewsbury Forest, where Edgar was killed, a memorial has been erected by his family and the Crooked Hooker, an association of former Northampton Saints players.
Today he has no known grave, but Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Roberts Mobbs is commemorated on plaque 43 of the Menin Gate Memorial.
Sources 8
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7 Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO95/2218/2) https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 372) https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1912 (Northamptonshire Record Office, Northampton, 233P/12) https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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McCrery Nigel, Into Touch. Rugby Internationals killed in the Great War (Barnsley, Pen & Sword Military, 2014) 52-53. Sources used |
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National Probate Calender (Index of Wills and Administration) 1858-1995. (Principal Probate Registry, London) https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate Sources used |
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s.n., The Northamptonshire Regiment 1914-1918 (Gale & Polden, s.d.) 214-224. Sources used |
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Woodall David, The Mobbs Own 1914-1918: The 7th Battalion the Northamptonshire Regiment (Northampton, Northamptonshire Regiment Association, 2000). Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/907119 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=592a3107-f701-45cd-a053-caf512a8f686 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3075103 |