Reginald Hobbs
Major-General Reginald Geoffrey Stirling Hobbs CB DSO OBE (8 August 1908 – 7 November 1977) was a British Army officer who became Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Reginald Hobbs | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 August 1908 Elham, Kent |
| Died | 7 November 1977 (aged 69) Bromley, London |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1928–1960 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands held | 104th Regiment (Essex Yeomanry), Royal Horse Artillery 2nd Infantry Brigade RMA Sandhurst 1st Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
| Relations | Sir William Stirling (grandfather) Reginald Francis Arthur Hobbs (father) |
Early life
Hobbs was the eldest son of Brigadier-General Reginald Francis Arthur Hobbs (1878–1953) and Frances Graham Stirling, daughter of Sir William Stirling. His brothers, Major Peter Graham Hobbs (1911–1942) and Lieutenant Colonel William Paul Hobbs (1914–1943), were both killed in action in the Second World War.[1]
Military career
Hobbs was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1928.[2] He played rugby for England against South Africa at Twickenham in 1932[3] and then served in India.[2] He fought in World War II becoming Commanding Officer of 104th Regiment (Essex Yeomanry), Royal Horse Artillery in the Western Desert taking part in the Battle of El Alamein in 1942 and then being deployed to North West Europe as a General Staff Officer.[2]
After the War, he was Chief of Staff for Combined Operations.[2] Then in 1950, he became Commander Royal Artillery for 1st Infantry Division in the Middle East.[2] He was made Commander of 2nd Infantry Brigade in 1951, Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1954 and Director of the Royal Artillery at the War Office in 1957.[2] He went on to be General Officer Commanding 1st Division in 1959 before retiring in 1960.[2]
In retirement he was President of the Regular Commissions Board, Honorary Colonel of the Essex Yeomanry and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery from 1963 to 1968.[2] He lived at Lerags House in Oban in Argyllshire.[4]
References
- "Obituary: Brig.-Gen. R. F. A. Hobbs". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 14 July 1953. p. 8.
- Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ESPN Scrum
- Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003.
External links
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Guy Gregson |
General Officer Commanding the 1st Division 1959–1960 |
Succeeded by Division Disbanded |
| Preceded by David Dawnay |
Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 1954–1957 |
Succeeded by Ronald Urquhart |