Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Major E. S. C. Hobson, Worcestershire Regiment, who was M.I.D. for services with the Mounted Infantry in South Africa and severely wounded in the chest at Bethlehem in July 1900

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen (Capt. E. S. C. Hobson. Worc: R.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Capt. E. S. C. Hobson. Worc. Rgt.); 1914 Star, with clasp (Major E. S. C. Hobson. Worc: R.); British War and Victory Medals (Major E. S. C. Hobson.) mounted court style, contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (5) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Worcestershire Regiment formed by Group Captain J. E. Barker.

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Edward Scheel Cripps Hobson was born in New York, on 14 July 1869, the son of J. C. Hobson, Esq., of Maywood, Leamington. He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, on 5 May 1888, and promoted to Lieutenant on 5 October 1889. He was appointed a Regular Army 2nd Lieutenant in the Worcestershire Regiment on 17 January 1891, becoming Lieutenant on 6 July 1892, and Captain on 21 December 1899. He embarked at London Docks on the S.S. British Prince on 6 January 1900 with the Mounted Infantry Company of the 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, which formed part of the 5th Mounted Infantry. Landing at Cape Town on 27 January, the regiment proceeded by train to Hope Town. Hobson was then detailed to escort a convoy to Belmont, but on 9 February was ordered to hand it over to another escort and make his way to Ramah where, on arrival next day, he found the whole of the Mounted Infantry Division concentrated. On the 11th he was engaged at Wolvekraal, and next day joined General French’s column at Ramdam. He took part in the Relief of Kimberley; operations in the Orange Free State including Paardeberg, 17-26 February, action at Poplar Grove, 7 March, and advance via Petrusburg on Bloemfontein. Here Captain Hobson, who up to this time had been doing duty as a Subaltern, took up the adjutancy of the 5th Mounted Infantry, which regiment, joining Lieutenant-General Ian Hamilton’s force, marched from Bloemfontein on 22 April; he was present at the capture of the Waterworks, 22 April, Israel’s Port, 25 April, operations round Thaba’Nchu on the 26th and 27th, action at Houtnek (Thoba Mountain) 30 April to 1 May, Welkom, 4 May, Vet River, 5-6 May, Zand River and occupation of Kroonstadt, 9-12 May.

At Kroonstadt, Hobson took over command of the Mounted Infantry Company of the 2nd Worcesters which he retained until wounded at Bethlehem. He was present in the rear guard action at Lindley, 20 May; operations in the Transvaal including action at Doornkop, 29 May, the occupation of Johannesburg, action outside Pretoria, 4 June, Diamond Hill, 11-12 June; operations in the Orange River Colony, including actions at Lindley, 26 June, and Bethlehem, 20 July, when he was dangerously wounded by a gunshot in the chest. He was invalided home and left Cape Town on the S.S. Dunera on 26 September 1900. On recovery from his wound he was posted to the 1st Battalion with which he took part in operations in the Orange River Colony from 1 July 1901 until the end of the War (Despatches London Gazette 10 September 1901). Hobson left Cape Town on 7 June 1902, having been sent home on the S.S. Bavarian to represent the 1st Battalion at the Coronation of King Edward VII. He was promoted to Major on 8 October 1904, and retired on 11 June 1910.

In April 1914 Hobson was appointed a District Remount Officer for No. 13 (Central Warwickshire) District. He went to France and Flanders prior to 22/23 November 1914, and from 1 April 1915, for the remainder of the war, held a staff appointment as a Deputy Assistant Director of Railway Transport. After the War he remained in the Reserve of Officers on retired pay as a Major until he died, prematurely, aged 54 years, on 22 August 1923, at Leamington. Sold with comprehensive research including a good number of copied images taken from regimental albums.