Death of Lt Col Edgar Mobbs, 7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regt

[Ian C]

Hi

Can anyone help me with the name of the bunker that Edgar Mobbs was attacking in Shrewsbury Forest when he was killed, I think it was Lone Star but cannot remember for certain and cannot find it anywhere.

Thanks in advance

Regards

Ian C

[PBI]

http://www2.rugbynetwork.net/main/s99/st85133.htm

Have been Googling,but cannot find any specific Name of said M.G. Post.

[Stebie9173]

I think that Lone Star is right. I'll need to power up the laptop. Back soon!

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

From my short bio from various sources:

(I was thinking of posting it in response to the Rugby World Cup topic)

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL EDGAR ROBERT MOBBS

EARLY YEARS

Edgar Robert Mobbs parents married in 1879. Edgar's father, Oliver Linnell Mobbs, an engineer by profession was born in London in 1851. His mother, Elizabeth Anne Hollis, born in 1854, was from Northampton, where the couple married and settled, living at Billings Road, Northampton for many years.

Their third son, Edgar Robert, was born at Billing Road, St. Giles, Northampton on 29th June 1882. Oliver and Elizabeth had five other children, Arthur Noel (b.1880), Herbert (b.1881), twins Elsie and Olive (b. 1884) and Charles (b.1897)

Edgar was educated at Bedford Modern School. A knee injury whilst playing rugby at school interrupted Edgar's sporting ambitions, and he did not "gain his colours". After leaving school, he played centre forward in Olney mixed hockey eleven, and from 1903 he played rugby for Olney, the Weston Turks, and Northampton Heathens.

RUGBY INTERNATIONAL

Edgar Mobbs became a member of Northampton Rugby Club in 1905, and played regularly for the club from 1907 until retirement from the game at the end of the 1913-14 season. A legend for his home town club, Edgar Mobbs scored 177 career tries for Northampton. He was Captain of the combined Midland Counties and East Midlands XV that defeated the Australians 16-5 at Leicester on 2nd December 1908. Mobbs then played at left wing three-quarter for England against the Australians later in the 1908-09 season at Blackheath, and in all the other international matches that season. In the next season Edgar Mobbs played against the Irish in Dublin, and Captained the team that defeated the French at Paris. He played seven times for England, and also played for a while for Toulouse.

In non-sporting life, being an amateur Rugby player - even at International level, Edgar Mobbs was managing director of a branch of the Pytchley Motor Company (owned by his brothers, Herbert and Noel) at Market Harborough. He was not to be employed there for long. Having contemplated emigration to Canada, the outbreak of the Great War intervened in his life.

THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE REGIMENT

Edgar Mobbs applied for a commission at the outbreak of war, but was refused on the grounds of age. Instead, Mobbs enlisted as a private into the Northamptonshire Regiment at Little Bowden on 14th September 1914. Allotted Regimental number 15630 and posted to "D" Company of the 7th (Service) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, Private Mobbs was immediately appointed as acting Sergeant. Unlike most men who came to enlist either singular or in small groups, Edgar Mobbs brought with him a phalanx of rugby playing colleagues, fellow sportsmen and friends. He was soon appointed to a commission, being commissioned as a temporary Lieutenant on 14th October 1914 and appointed as a platoon commander. Other friends that enlisted as Privates with Edgar - Henry Grierson, Dennis Farrer, Clive Harrison Martyn, Robert Leslie Howett, and Sydney Cockerill Percival - also received commissions at the same time. Lieutenant Mobbs was promoted to Captain on 1st July 1915 whilst in training, and it was as a Captain that Edgar Mobbs embarked to France with the rest of the 7th Battalion on 31st August 1915. In France, Captain Mobbs was promoted to Major on 22nd September 1915 just prior to the battalions baptism of fire at the battle of Loos.

The battalions first action was at Loos on 25th September 1915. The 24th Division was deployed from Reserve positions to reinforce the battered assaulting battalions. After a four day march to the front, the 7th was rushed into battle on the night of the 25th/26th September 1915, with no more orders than to follow a Scottish officer to their appointed positions. The 7th Northamptons took over advanced trenches from the ..... (Scottish) Division, and faced two days of counter-attacks by the Germans. During the battle, Major Mobbs was wounded but remained at duty, taking over command of the battalion from Lt. Col. Parkin who had been killed during the battle.

Major Mobbs was briefly appointed as acting battalion C.O. from 5th January 1916 to 13th January 1916. On returning to his normal duties, he was appointed as battalion second-in-command. He was soon appointed acting C.O. again on 29th February 1916, after the C.O., Lt. Col. Percy Skinner, was first given charge of 73rd Infantry Brigade, and later evacuated ill. Major Edgar Mobbs was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 23rd April 1916, in order to officially continue his command of his battalion.

The 7th battalion spent the early half of 1916 at Ypres and Messines, before moving south to join the Somme offensive at the end of July 1916. After spending time as working parties at Trones Wood in early August, the battalion was ordered to take part in an attack on the village of Guillemont on 18th August 1916. As the battalion officers met for final orders at around midday, a shell struck the trench nearby and buried the party. On being extricated Lieutenant Colonel Mobbs was found to have been wounded by a piece of shrapnel in the back. Evacuated to England via Havre and Southampton, Edgar Mobbs was admitted to Caxton Hall Hospital, S.W. London to receive treatment for his wounds.

Lt. Col. Mobbs was passed fit for general service at a Medical Board at the Military Hospital, Northampton on 7th October 1916. By the 23rd October 1916, Lt. Col. Mobbs was embarking back to France, and joined his battalion at Berthonval Wood on 25th October 1916, resuming his command. He continued in command with a short interruption from 9th to 26th December 1916 when he was confined to bed with a temperature, and sent back behind the lines for two weeks.

The start of 1917 saw an honour for the commander of the 7th Northamptons, when Lt. Col. Mobbs was gazetted to the Distinguished Service Order in the New Year's Honours of 1st January 1917. The battalion was stationed at Vimy in the early part of 1917, and moved to Messines in May 1917 where it was in Resrve during the successful attack on the Messines Ridge on 6th June 1917, but not heavily engaged.

Whilst commanding the battalion at Messines on 7th June 1917, Lt. Col. Mobbs was struck above the heart by shell shrapnel but only bruised. Three days later he was struck in the neck by another piece of shrapnel, but escaped serious injury. In order to recover from his wounds, Lt. Col. Mobbs was granted leave from 14th June 1917. He returned to the battalion on 26th June 1917 to resume command and prepare his battalion for the beginning of the new Ypres offensive.

THE DEATH OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL MOBBS

The 7th Northamptons took part in the initial offensive of the 3rd Battle of Ypres on the 31st July 1917. During the attack, Lt. Col. Mobbs was at his headquarters awaiting news of the attack. Upon hearing that the battalion had lost most of its officers, and that the battalions first and second objectiveshad been taken, he moved up to the front line with a small group of men, and an officer, Second Lieutenant Berridge. Finding that a machine gun post known as Lower Star Post had not been taken but in fact skirted around, Lt. Col. Mobbs and Sec. Lt. Berridge led a two pronged attack on the machine gun. As he approached the gun position Edgar Mobbs was struck in the neck by a bullet, falling into a shell-hole. Writing a note to battalion headquarters, Lt. Col. Mobbs sent his runner back to the British lines, and was left alone in the shellhole, being later found dead by Second Lieutenant Berridge. The body of Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Robert Mobbs was never recovered from the battlefield and he was later determined as Killed in Action at Shrewbury Forest, Ypres on 31st July 1917. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate memorial to the Missing.

Chronology:

29th June 1882, Born at St. Giles, Northampton

c.1900, Educated at Bedford Modern School

1905, Joined Northampton Rugby Club

1907, First played Rugby for Northampton

2nd December 1908, Match against Australia

1909, First England cap

1914, Retired from first class Rugby, age 31

1914 Managing Director of a branch of Pytchley Motor Company

August 1914, Refused a commission in the Regular Army due to age (32)

14th September 1914, Enlisted into the Northamptonshire Regiment as a Private

14th September 1914, Posted to 7th (Service) Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment and appointed as acting Sergeant.

14th October 1914, Commissioned as a Lieutenant (No service as a Second Lieutenant)

1st July 1915, Promoted to Captain

31st August 1915, Embarked to France as a Captain with 7th Northamptons

22nd September 1915, Promoted to Major

25th September 1915, Wounded at the battle of Loos

25th September 1915, Assumed command of 7th Northamptons after death of C.O.

5th to 13th January 1916, Acting command of 7th Battalion

29th February 1916, Acting command of 7th Battalion

23rd April 1916, Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel

18th August 1916, Wounded in back by shrapnel just prior to battle at Guillemont

22nd August 1916, Evacuated to England

7th October 1916, Passed fit for active service

23rd October 1916, Returned to France

25th October 1916, Rejoined 7th Northamptons at Berthonval Wood

8th December 1916, Confined to bed with fever

9th December 1916, Evacuated from trenches

26th December 1916, Returned to command of 7th Northamptons

1st January 1917, Gazetted D.S.O.

7th June 1917, Bruised above heart by shrapnel near Messines

10th June 1917, Slightly wounded by shrapnel in neck

14th June 1917, Granted sick leave

26th June 1917, Rejoined 7th Northamptons

31st July 1917, Killed in action at Shrewsbury Forest, Zillebeke, Flanders

I haven't marked all the sources yet, though... (it is a work in progress, and contains some Copy/Pastes from other sources. Apologies for those).

The reference seems to be LOWER Star Post and not LONE Star Post.

The reference to Lower Star Post appears in the:

The History of the Northamptonshire Regiment, The 7th (S.) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment by Hugh Basil King (an officer of the battalion), and Northamptonshire and the Great War.

Sources : The Northamptonshire Regiment 1914-18 (Reg. Museum), Raising of the 7th (Service) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (Guy Paget), The 7th (S.) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (Hugh Basil King), Northamptonshire and the Great War (W H Holloway), London Gazette, CWGC, SDGW, 7th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment War Diary (WO 95/2218), Officers File (NA - WO 339/15240), Dictionary of National Biography, Northampton Independent (articles), BMD Register Index, 1891 and 1901 Censuses.

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

War Diary confirms Lower Star Post:

With apologies for poor quality images.

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

A Topic on Lower Star Post with map and bunker picture:

 

Steve.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Raising Of The 7th Battalion The Northamptonshire 1914

Pals may or may not have found this downloadable [approx:40 pages] contemporary History of the Raising of the Battalion Online...

[mark f]

Raising Of The 7th Battalion The Northamptonshire 1914

Pals may or may not have found this downloadable [approx:40 pages] contemporary History of the Raising of the Battalion Online...

Thank you for the link. My great uncle was in that battalion. 14975 Pte J H Spencer MM.

I saw the book at the Northamptom musuem and I've wanted to get a copy. His MM is on display there.

Thanks

Mark

[Stebie9173]

Mark,

I assume that you know that J H Spencer was awarded his MM with 6th battalion....

London Gazette 23-7-1919

Northamptonshire Regiment M.M.s

52132 Pte. Smith, J., 6th Bn. (Stockport).

20537 Pte. Smith, L., 6th Bn. (Northampton).

17504 Pte. Snapes, C., 6th Bn. (Beaconsfield).

14975 Pte. Spencer, J. H., 6th Bn. (Deptford).

28383 Cpl. (L./Sjt.) Stedman, C. S., 6th Bn (Newbury Park)

14183 Pte. Trickey, A., 6th Bn. (Stratford, E.).

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.a...t=&similar=

I believe that these awards would have been for the battle at Preux on 4th November 1918.

He would have been one of the en-masse enlistees in the first week of September 1914.

He was reported wounded in the Times of 20-9-1916, no battalion listed, but probably wounded with 7th battalion at Guillemont on 18-8-1916.

He would have likely rejoined 7th battalion had his wounds not been serious, so perhaps a years recovery and then joining 6th battalion in mid to late 1917?

As you will have probably seen from the link he was in "A" Company of the 7th battalion. He embarked to France at Folkestone with the battalion on 1st September 1915 arriving in France at Boulogne in the early hours of 2nd September 1915.

I can post extracts from the 7th battalion history (H B King - a fairly rare book), 6th battalion history (Glorious 6th, by Peter Jackson) and the War Diaries of either battalion. The Mobbs Own by David Woodall also covers the 7th battalions history, but I have not got a copy of that yet.

Steve.

[johnhoare]

Ian

The Bunker was called low star

[mark f]

Steve,

Thank you very much for the info. If you do have any more I would be most grateful.

Sorry about the delay in thanking you, been away with work

Once again thank you

Mark

[Stebie9173]

What sort of information are you looking for, Mark?

Steve.

[mark f]

Hi Steve,

There is a family story that my Spencer won his MM saving a Canadian (possible officer), I was wondering would there be anything anywhere to prove or not if this was true.

On his MIC it has two numbers 14975 which he had from the begining, it also lists another number, 70063, I am a bit puzzled with this as his MM is listed with his first number. (His brother, my Granddad, also has two numbers, he was in the 9th and 13th London's)

The mention of him being wounded in the Times is a new one, I was told he was gased and I guess this all ties in. I think it affected him as from what I can remember he had very bad mood swings but he was a great man. Would there be anywhere where I can see or get this mention in the Times.

I was wondering if there is anything else mentioned anywhere I can look at to see what his company/battalion where doing at these battles you mentioned.

I guess I need to get to Kew and hope his service records have survied.

Thanks again

Mark

[Stebie9173]

If you click on my name above, and send me an e-mail I will find the Times page and send you a copy (this is from the Times Online Archive). Since you are in Cambridgeshire, you can also log in to the Times Archive via Cambs Libraries using the number on the back of your library card (include the DD)

http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/l...tal_archive.htm

Once logged in to the search engine, just tick People and enter the date, then look for Articles entitled Deaths. The casualty lists are always the ones with the most "words", unfortunately.

The later number is a bit of a mystery. Researching the higher numbers is always fraught with problems, but I think that this may have been a slightly post-war number. I don't have any real evidence for that assumption, yet.

Your Grandad would have had 2 numbers for different reasons as the Territorial Force (of which the whole London Regiment was part) had different numbering rules. That's probably something for a different topic, however.

As far as the battles go, I'll try and send you some info if you e-mail me.

Steve.

[Phil Mobbs]

I've just come back from a visit to Ypres, where I went to Shrewsbury Forest which was the site of the death of my great great uncle, Edgar Mobbs, on 31st July 1917, the first day of the Third Ypres. Most of the sources I have read, including the Battalion's War Diary, state that he was kiled attacking a machine gun located in Lower Star Post. Jenny Edwards in her book 'Soldier and Sportsman' states that he was killed attacking a redoubt positioned between the first and second line trenches just outside the wood and roughly south east of Lower Star Post. She bases this on Edgar's original trench map, in her possesion, which has a red blob on it which she believes marks the position, and on a letter written shortly afterwards by Lt Passmore who read the despatch that Edgar wrote as he lay mortally wounded in a shell hole. In the message it states the grid reference of the machine gun and how it was to be dealt with. If the position was Lower Star Post, which was already marked on the map, why give the grid reference when 'Lower Star Post' would have done?

As the message never reached Battalion HQ Lt Passmore was the sole witness to its contents. Could the War Diary be wrong? Does anyone have any thoughts? I know it's unlikely that we'll ever really know what happened, but on balance I go with Jenny Edwards.

[Stebie9173]

Hello, Phil.

Welcome to the Forum.

Though the death of Edgar Mobbs is obviously a major event in the Northamptonshire Regiment's Great War service, it's not something I have looked at in great detail. I shall try and have a look at what various sources say. The other officer involved in the actual attack on the machine gun post was Second Lieutenant Fred Berridge, so that may be an angle to pursue.

 

Another post on the topic, which I have not really looked into in any detail:

 

Fred Berridge:

 

I have to sort other things right now, but I shall give the actual location a bit more thought later.

Regards,

Steve Beeby.

[Phil Mobbs]

Thanks Steve.

I'd already viewed the other posts, they say it was at Lower Star Post in accordance with the War Diary. Capt Berridge was a 2/Lt when he went with Edgar Mobbs from Batt HQ up to the front line, and was ordered to attack the machine gun from the other flank. He later found Edgar dead in the shell hole, but was unable to relocate the body afterwards, and so he remains there to this day - I'm just not sure where 'there' is.

Capt Berridge's later career is 'boy's own' stuff indeed. Presumeably he made Lt Col in WW2, do you know any details?

Phil

[Stebie9173]

No, I don't know much about Lt. Berridge's post-war career, Phil, sorry.

As far as I am aware he resigned his commission as a Captain in 1926:

5th Bn. North'n R. — Capt. F. R. Berridge, D.S.O., M.C., resigns his commn. and retains his rank. 7th Aug. 1926.

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/33189/pages/5204

I really ought to put a bit together about him, especially as he is very local to me. He gets a few mentions in the local press of the time but as you might expect exact details are few and far between.

I have not really gone into that much depth on Edgar Mobbs, since I haven't really focussed much on the 7th Battalion, and as the "icon" of the Northamptonshire Regiment during the Great War, I have thought that I couldn't really do him the justice he warrants. Besides that I get the feeling that there are far more knowledgeable people on the Forum.

 

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

I suppose another route to follow is the recently "discovered" records of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which seem to include some details on burials by the Germans.

Have you look at the details in Edgar's officers file? Though I can't remember there being any reference to a burial by the Germans, I'll have a check later, as I am sure I took a copy a while back.

To be honest, apart from doing some basic research of Edgar Mobbs, I've probably sub-consciously avoided research on him, since he is probably the most well known, and most written about man of the Regiment, I haven't felt the need to go into that much depth on his life, as that research has to a large extent already been done by others, and there are enough other less heralded men to spend time on. That's not to say I'm ignoring him though!

Steve.

[Phil Mobbs]

Sadly there's no grave, after 2/Lt Berridge discovered he was dead he was left in the shell hole as there was a deal more fighting and possibly a German counter attack, they then tried to find him but couldn't, and he's still there. His name's on the Menin gate.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

The Book "The Mobbs Own" by David Woodall culled primariliy from War Diaries & The 1915 Book on the formation of the Regiment may help,published in 1990 & reprinted 2000 its worthy of a read.

[Phil Mobbs]

Thanks, I'm waiting for Amazon to deliver a copy, it's quite hard to get hold of. I understand from Jenny Edwards that she was asked to edit it because it contained a number of errors, so it may not be a suitably independent source!

[Uptodat]

On 09/09/2007 at 21:05, Stebie9173 said:

From my short bio from various sources:

(I was thinking of posting it in response to the Rugby World Cup topic)

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL EDGAR ROBERT MOBBS

EARLY YEARS

Edgar Robert Mobbs parents married in 1879. Edgar's father, Oliver Linnell Mobbs, an engineer by profession was born in London in 1851. His mother, Elizabeth Anne Hollis, born in 1854, was from Northampton, where the couple married and settled, living at Billings Road, Northampton for many years.

Their third son, Edgar Robert, was born at Billing Road, St. Giles, Northampton on 29th June 1882. Oliver and Elizabeth had five other children, Arthur Noel (b.1880), Herbert (b.1881), twins Elsie and Olive (b. 1884) and Charles (b.1897)

Edgar was educated at Bedford Modern School. A knee injury whilst playing rugby at school interrupted Edgar's sporting ambitions, and he did not "gain his colours". After leaving school, he played centre forward in Olney mixed hockey eleven, and from 1903 he played rugby for Olney, the Weston Turks, and Northampton Heathens.

RUGBY INTERNATIONAL

Edgar Mobbs became a member of Northampton Rugby Club in 1905, and played regularly for the club from 1907 until retirement from the game at the end of the 1913-14 season. A legend for his home town club, Edgar Mobbs scored 177 career tries for Northampton. He was Captain of the combined Midland Counties and East Midlands XV that defeated the Australians 16-5 at Leicester on 2nd December 1908. Mobbs then played at left wing three-quarter for England against the Australians later in the 1908-09 season at Blackheath, and in all the other international matches that season. In the next season Edgar Mobbs played against the Irish in Dublin, and Captained the team that defeated the French at Paris. He played seven times for England, and also played for a while for Toulouse.

In non-sporting life, being an amateur Rugby player - even at International level, Edgar Mobbs was managing director of a branch of the Pytchley Motor Company (owned by his brothers, Herbert and Noel) at Market Harborough. He was not to be employed there for long. Having contemplated emigration to Canada, the outbreak of the Great War intervened in his life.

THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE REGIMENT

Edgar Mobbs applied for a commission at the outbreak of war, but was refused on the grounds of age. Instead, Mobbs enlisted as a private into the Northamptonshire Regiment at Little Bowden on 14th September 1914. Allotted Regimental number 15630 and posted to "D" Company of the 7th (Service) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, Private Mobbs was immediately appointed as acting Sergeant. Unlike most men who came to enlist either singular or in small groups, Edgar Mobbs brought with him a phalanx of rugby playing colleagues, fellow sportsmen and friends. He was soon appointed to a commission, being commissioned as a temporary Lieutenant on 14th October 1914 and appointed as a platoon commander. Other friends that enlisted as Privates with Edgar - Henry Grierson, Dennis Farrer, Clive Harrison Martyn, Robert Leslie Howett, and Sydney Cockerill Percival - also received commissions at the same time. Lieutenant Mobbs was promoted to Captain on 1st July 1915 whilst in training, and it was as a Captain that Edgar Mobbs embarked to France with the rest of the 7th Battalion on 31st August 1915. In France, Captain Mobbs was promoted to Major on 22nd September 1915 just prior to the battalions baptism of fire at the battle of Loos.

The battalions first action was at Loos on 25th September 1915. The 24th Division was deployed from Reserve positions to reinforce the battered assaulting battalions. After a four day march to the front, the 7th was rushed into battle on the night of the 25th/26th September 1915, with no more orders than to follow a Scottish officer to their appointed positions. The 7th Northamptons took over advanced trenches from the ..... (Scottish) Division, and faced two days of counter-attacks by the Germans. During the battle, Major Mobbs was wounded but remained at duty, taking over command of the battalion from Lt. Col. Parkin who had been killed during the battle.

Major Mobbs was briefly appointed as acting battalion C.O. from 5th January 1916 to 13th January 1916. On returning to his normal duties, he was appointed as battalion second-in-command. He was soon appointed acting C.O. again on 29th February 1916, after the C.O., Lt. Col. Percy Skinner, was first given charge of 73rd Infantry Brigade, and later evacuated ill. Major Edgar Mobbs was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 23rd April 1916, in order to officially continue his command of his battalion.

The 7th battalion spent the early half of 1916 at Ypres and Messines, before moving south to join the Somme offensive at the end of July 1916. After spending time as working parties at Trones Wood in early August, the battalion was ordered to take part in an attack on the village of Guillemont on 18th August 1916. As the battalion officers met for final orders at around midday, a shell struck the trench nearby and buried the party. On being extricated Lieutenant Colonel Mobbs was found to have been wounded by a piece of shrapnel in the back. Evacuated to England via Havre and Southampton, Edgar Mobbs was admitted to Caxton Hall Hospital, S.W. London to receive treatment for his wounds.

Lt. Col. Mobbs was passed fit for general service at a Medical Board at the Military Hospital, Northampton on 7th October 1916. By the 23rd October 1916, Lt. Col. Mobbs was embarking back to France, and joined his battalion at Berthonval Wood on 25th October 1916, resuming his command. He continued in command with a short interruption from 9th to 26th December 1916 when he was confined to bed with a temperature, and sent back behind the lines for two weeks.

The start of 1917 saw an honour for the commander of the 7th Northamptons, when Lt. Col. Mobbs was gazetted to the Distinguished Service Order in the New Year's Honours of 1st January 1917. The battalion was stationed at Vimy in the early part of 1917, and moved to Messines in May 1917 where it was in Resrve during the successful attack on the Messines Ridge on 6th June 1917, but not heavily engaged.

Whilst commanding the battalion at Messines on 7th June 1917, Lt. Col. Mobbs was struck above the heart by shell shrapnel but only bruised. Three days later he was struck in the neck by another piece of shrapnel, but escaped serious injury. In order to recover from his wounds, Lt. Col. Mobbs was granted leave from 14th June 1917. He returned to the battalion on 26th June 1917 to resume command and prepare his battalion for the beginning of the new Ypres offensive.

THE DEATH OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL MOBBS

The 7th Northamptons took part in the initial offensive of the 3rd Battle of Ypres on the 31st July 1917. During the attack, Lt. Col. Mobbs was at his headquarters awaiting news of the attack. Upon hearing that the battalion had lost most of its officers, and that the battalions first and second objectiveshad been taken, he moved up to the front line with a small group of men, and an officer, Second Lieutenant Berridge. Finding that a machine gun post known as Lower Star Post had not been taken but in fact skirted around, Lt. Col. Mobbs and Sec. Lt. Berridge led a two pronged attack on the machine gun. As he approached the gun position Edgar Mobbs was struck in the neck by a bullet, falling into a shell-hole. Writing a note to battalion headquarters, Lt. Col. Mobbs sent his runner back to the British lines, and was left alone in the shellhole, being later found dead by Second Lieutenant Berridge. The body of Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Robert Mobbs was never recovered from the battlefield and he was later determined as Killed in Action at Shrewbury Forest, Ypres on 31st July 1917. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate memorial to the Missing.

Chronology:

29th June 1882, Born at St. Giles, Northampton

c.1900, Educated at Bedford Modern School

1905, Joined Northampton Rugby Club

1907, First played Rugby for Northampton

2nd December 1908, Match against Australia

1909, First England cap

1914, Retired from first class Rugby, age 31

1914 Managing Director of a branch of Pytchley Motor Company

August 1914, Refused a commission in the Regular Army due to age (32)

14th September 1914, Enlisted into the Northamptonshire Regiment as a Private

14th September 1914, Posted to 7th (Service) Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment and appointed as acting Sergeant.

14th October 1914, Commissioned as a Lieutenant (No service as a Second Lieutenant)

1st July 1915, Promoted to Captain

31st August 1915, Embarked to France as a Captain with 7th Northamptons

22nd September 1915, Promoted to Major

25th September 1915, Wounded at the battle of Loos

25th September 1915, Assumed command of 7th Northamptons after death of C.O.

5th to 13th January 1916, Acting command of 7th Battalion

29th February 1916, Acting command of 7th Battalion

23rd April 1916, Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel

18th August 1916, Wounded in back by shrapnel just prior to battle at Guillemont

22nd August 1916, Evacuated to England

7th October 1916, Passed fit for active service

23rd October 1916, Returned to France

25th October 1916, Rejoined 7th Northamptons at Berthonval Wood

8th December 1916, Confined to bed with fever

9th December 1916, Evacuated from trenches

26th December 1916, Returned to command of 7th Northamptons

1st January 1917, Gazetted D.S.O.

7th June 1917, Bruised above heart by shrapnel near Messines

10th June 1917, Slightly wounded by shrapnel in neck

14th June 1917, Granted sick leave

26th June 1917, Rejoined 7th Northamptons

31st July 1917, Killed in action at Shrewsbury Forest, Zillebeke, Flanders

I haven't marked all the sources yet, though... (it is a work in progress, and contains some Copy/Pastes from other sources. Apologies for those).

The reference seems to be LOWER Star Post and not LONE Star Post.

The reference to Lower Star Post appears in the:

The History of the Northamptonshire Regiment, The 7th (S.) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment by Hugh Basil King (an officer of the battalion), and Northamptonshire and the Great War.

Sources : The Northamptonshire Regiment 1914-18 (Reg. Museum), Raising of the 7th (Service) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (Guy Paget), The 7th (S.) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (Hugh Basil King), Northamptonshire and the Great War (W H Holloway), London Gazette, CWGC, SDGW, 7th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment War Diary (WO 95/2218), Officers File (NA - WO 339/15240), Dictionary of National Biography, Northampton Independent (articles), BMD Register Index, 1891 and 1901 Censuses.

Steve.

Steve, a great article, which is of particular interest to me as I am trying to find documentary proof that Robert Leslie Howett enlisted in September 1914 & was therefore part of D Company,  the "Mobb's Own" - the subject of a Northampton Saints Foundation Heritage Brochure.
 I have seen a reference in the Northampton Mercury, 16/10/1914, to R L Howett  being promoted to L/Cpl & his MIC shows he was later Second Lieutenant in 7th Northamptons before he transferred to the Tanks & was promoted to Captain, but a document to prove his enlistment along with Mobbs, as you refer to,  has eluded me.
Can I ask please,whether you found such "proof" amongst all the sources you used?
I believe R L Howett was (Bernard) Robert Leslie Howett, born 1895, of White Lodge Market Harborough, He was apparently known as Leslie & along with a sister and a brother (who served in the RAF) inherited a share of his father's corset factory, Symingtons, in the town. He became a manufacturer himself and emigrated to Australia, where he married and had three children. I believe he died in 1991.

All the best,
Dave

 

[Stebie9173]

The Raising of the 7th (Service) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (by Guy Paget) mentioned above has a list on pages 32 and 33 of men granted commissions from the battalion - on that list is "16038 L.Cpl. Howett, R.L., Gazette 30-11-1914, commissioned to the 7th (S) Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment"

 

His number 16038 puts his enlistment date as about 20 September 1914 about a week after Mobbs' "originals" (numbered 15526 to 15775) in "D" Company enlisted on the 14th. He would have been posted to one of the companies of the original 7th but I can't say which one!

 

 

Steve.

[Uptodat]

Many thanks for you very speedy response Steve.