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Auction: 9022 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 1

x A Fine ´Military Division´ C.B., ´1915´ C.M.G., ´Fighting, Boer War´ D.S.O. Group of Eleven to Brigadier-General R.F.A. Hobbs, Royal Engineers, Who Served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quarter Master General, 7th Division, British Expeditionary Force, 31.8.1914- 16.7.1915; He Was Mentioned In Despatches Five Times for the Great War, and Represented England Twice as a Forward at Rugby Football a) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Military Division, Commander´s (C.B.) neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel b) The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, Companion´s (C.M.G.) neck Badge (converted breast Badge), silver-gilt and enamel, minor white enamel damage c) Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top-riband bar d) Queen´s South Africa 1899-1902, four clasps, Belmont, Modder River, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Lieut. R.F.A. Hobbs, D.S.O., R.E.) e) King´s South Africa 1901-02, two clasps (Lieut. R.F.A. Hobbs, D.S.O., R.E.) f) Africa General Service 1902-56, E.VII.R., one clasp, Somaliland 1902-04 (Lieut: R.F.A. Hobbs. R.E.) g) 1914 Star, with Bar (Capt: R.F.A. Hobbs, D.S.O., R.E.) h) British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oakleaves (Brig: Gen. R.F.A. Hobbs) i) Defence Medal j) Italy, Military Order of Savoy, 5th class breast Badge, silver-gilt and enamel, minor white enamel damage to last, top lugs removed from campaign awards for mounting purposes, generally very fine or better, breast awards mounted court-style by Spink & Son Ltd, King´s Street, as worn, with a portrait photograph of recipient in uniform and a large amount of research (11) Estimate £ 3,000-3,500 C.B. London Gazette 1.1.1931 Colonel (temporary Brigadier) Reginald Francis Arthur Hobbs, C.M.G., D.S.O. (late Royal Engineers), Brigadier in charge of Administration, Western Command C.M.G. London Gazette 23.6.1915 Major Reginald Francis Arthur Hobbs, D.S.O., Royal Engineers D.S.O. London Gazette 26.6.1902 Reginald Francis Arthur Hobbs, Lt., Royal Engineers ´´In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa´´. Brigadier-General Reginald Francis Arthur Hobbs, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. (1878-1952), born at Fulwood, Manchester; educated at Wellington College, where he represented the 1st XV, and the Royal Military Academy Woolwich, where he received the Queen Victoria Medal; twice capped as a forward playing Rugby for England; commissioned Second Lieutenant Royal Engineers, 1898; served during the Second Boer War from November 1899, in particular at Kleinfontein (Transvaal), 23.10.1901, when as part of Von Donop´´s Column ´´the rear-guard was cut off while passing through thick bush. The two guns of the 4th Battery R.F.A., with the rear-guard, were put out of action, the teams being shot down and the officer in charge [Lieutenant H.N. Hill] and the gunners being killed or wounded. Lieut. Hobbs rode back, rallied the rear-guard, got one of the guns into action, and fired it himself, and finally fetched a team of horses and helped to drive the two guns away to rejoin the main body, after the Boers had been driven off´´ (The Distinguished Service Order 1886-1923, published J.B. Hayward, refers); the Boers who had driven off 12 wagons and burnt 1 limber, suffered 60 killed or wounded, whilst the British suffered 84 casualties (D.S.O.; Mentioned in Lord Kitchener´´s Despatches 8.12.1901, London Gazette 17.1.1902); Hobbs was presented with his D.S.O. at Buckingham Palace, 18.12.1902; he took part in operations in Somaliland, 1903-March 1904, before going on Survey duty, Gold Coast, 24.9.1904-14.9.1905; made a member of the Royal Engineer Yacht Club; advanced Captain 9.1.1907; Officer for Technical Duties at the School of Musketry, Hythe, 1907-1911; served during the Great War as D.A.A. and Q.M.G., 7th Division British Expeditionary Force, 31.8.1914-16.7.1915 (C.M.G.); promoted Major, 30.10.1914, the day after his division had been in action at Gheluvelt; Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant and Q.M.G., 5th Division, 17.7.1915 (M.I.D. London Gazette 17.2.1915; 22.6.1915; 15.6.1916; 15.5.1917 and 5.7.1919), served with them in France before moving with the division to Italy, until 22.2.1918 (Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 3.6.1917); appointed Temporary Brigadier-General, D.A. and Q.M.G., 17th Army Corps, British Armies in France, 27.2.1918; he held various posts in between the wars including A.Q.M.G. Southern Command and Brigadier in charge of Administration, Western Command (C.B.); in later life he resided at Little Newnham, Sutton Veny, Warminster, Wiltshire

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