Blinded Soldier Turns Poultry Farmer

The Sun, Leighton Buzzard [© Bedfordshire Archives]

Wednesday 26th July 1916: Private Charles Henry Hills, the son of Mrs Hills of the Sun Inn in Leighton Buzzard, has returned to Australia to start poultry farming. This is a remarkable turn of events as Private Hills was blinded by a shrapnel shell at Gallipoli and only last summer was being led about the streets, apparently helpless. He soon learned to navigate the local streets, and remained in his naturally cheerful spirits. He has since learned to typewrite, and has written to his relatives from Wagga Wagga, where he was living before he enlisted:

“The people are very good to me and are anxious I should settle in the town as they say everything original goes to Sydney and Melbourne. I have been in the papers several times and the keenest possible interest is being shown in the poultry farming experiment. The difficulty of obtaining the necessary ground to start on is engaging the attention of all the best men in Wagga Wagga.”

Private Hills has been interviewed by the Sunday Times in Sydney and has told them it is a great consolation to him that he “got” five Turks before he was wounded. He spent time in nineteen hospitals before he was taken to St. Dunstan’s in Regents Park, a home established for blind soldiers and sailors. While there he occupied the same room in which the Kaiser had slept when he had been a guest at the same house before the war. While there he was trained first in typewriting, and then studied poultry raising in the country life section. This new industry for the blind is proving successful and Private Hills intends “hitting out in the hen departure”, confident he can make a success of the business. Private Hills is also a great reader, and is looking forward to receiving a supply of the latest works from the Sydney Blind Industrial Institute.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 1st August 1916

Toddington and Luton Cousins Commissioned

 2nd Lieutenant John ("Jack") Hobbs

Monday 8th March 1915: Mr. Jack Hobbs has written from Adelaide in Australia with some interesting information about the Army record of his relative Lieutenant Edward Hobbs of Luton. Lieutenant Hobbs initially joined the Northamptonshire Regiment as a Private. After some time at Colchester he spent four years stationed in Malta with the 58th Northamptonshires and while there was made Regimental interpreter for Maltese. He next went to Alexandria in Egypt where he was promoted first to Lance-Corporal and then to Corporal. In June 1914 he passed an examination in Arabic, for which he received a grant of £20. Altogether he holds eleven certificates. After the outbreak of the war Edward Hobbs returned to England where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment, with whom he was sent to the Front. On January 18th Mr Hobbs received a letter from him saying he was all right except for a cold, then on the 20th received a cable to say Lieutenant Hobbs was in hospital at Torquay with frostbitten feet.

Toddington National School Class 1902 [SDToddington12/1]

"Hobbs" (presumably Jack) on left end of 2nd row from back

Edward Hobbs cousin Jack Hobbs, son of the late William Hobbs of Toddington, has also been commissioned as a lieutenant in the 1st Royal Scots and can boast an equally impressive record. After attending Toddington National School he was employed first by Mr. R. S. Tomson of Bedford House, and then at the Liberal Club in Luton. In 1908 he enlisted in the 2nd Royal Scots. The two cousins met in Luton while on Christmas leave in 1908 and were surprised to find each other in the Army. Jack Hobbs transferred to the 1st Royal Scots when they received orders for India. He won his 3rd class Army Certificate before leaving Britain, his 2nd class Certificate at Ranicket in India, and was then sent to college at Bangalore for six months to gain his 1st class in March 1913. The subjects he studied included arithmetic, composition, geography, modern English, history, modern English, history, map reading, book-keeping and précis writing. Following this he had also taking an acting schoolmaster’s certificate as a lecturer in these subjects and physical drill.

The Hobbs are without doubt an army family. The fathers of both cousins were old Volunteers and Jack Hobbs of Adelaide was himself in the C Company of the Luton Corps at the time of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee when he took part in a big review at Aldershot. He was also in the guard of honour for King Edward VII when he visited Luton as Prince of Wales. Lieutenant Jack Hobbs also has a brother in the Bedforshire Regiment, Sergeant Henry Hobbs, who was wounded at Ypres and is now in hospital at Altrincham, Cheshire.

Source: Luton News, 11th March 1915

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[1] 2nd Lt. John [“Jack”] Hobbs of the 1st Royal Scots was mentioned in despatches on 31 May 1915 and received the Military Cross in June. He died of wounds received in action at Armentieres on 28 June 1915. He had married Helen (nee Coote) of Maldon, Essex on 26 November 1914. After Lt. Hobbs’ death she became a nurse at the Essex County Hospital. Nothing is known about Edward’s subsequent career.  [Source: De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour]

Soldiers and Sailors of Old Warden

Cottage at Old Warden [Z50/129/24]

Friday 8th January 1914:  Some of the Old Warden men serving in the Forces were able to come home for a few days at Christmas and are said to be looking fit and well. All the village men serving at home or abroad were happy to receive a Christmas gift of a tobacco pouch and chocolates from Mrs Campbell of Old Warden Park. Half the money raised by carol singing in the village was sent to the British Soldiers Tobacco Fund and the remainder to the Waifs and Strays Society.

Five more names have been added to the Old Warden roll of honour. These include Herbert Vintner who has returned from seven years in Australia as a reservist in the Royal Horse Artillery and Clifford Newton who is on H. M. Telegraphic Ship “Monarch”. He has been on the ship in the North Sea and around the Orkneys since the war began. She has now come under Admiralty Orders and those serving on her are on the Active Service lists.

Sadly Mr and Mrs William Bryant have been informed of the death of their son Alfred, who was killed in action on 19th December while serving with the Highland Light Infantry. A sergeant in the Regiment writes that “he was an excellent soldier, and his death is greatly lamented by all who knew him”. Private Bryant joined the Army seven years ago and spent most of that time in India. At the outbreak of war he went to France with the Indian troops. He had hoped to obtain a few days’ leave soon.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 8th January 1914

[1] Alfred Bryant was the son of William and Emma Bryant of Warren Lodge, Old Warden. He is buried at Brown’s Road Military Cemetery at Festubert in the Pas de Calais.