Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Sapper A. V. Hobbs, Royal Engineers

Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1902-04 (9051 Sapr: A. V. Hobbs. R.E.); 1914 Star, with clasp (9051 Sapr: A. V. Hobbs. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (9051 Spr. A. V. Hobbs. R.E.) light contact marks to AGS, very fine (4) £240-£280

Alfred Vincent Hobbs was born in Margate, Kent, in 1881, and attested for the Royal Engineers at Ramsgate on 29 May 1901. A carpenter and lineman by trade, he served during the Somaliland Campaign with the 2nd Divisional Telegraph Battalion, Royal Engineers, and was mobilised at the Curragh on 6 August 1914 whilst attached to the 3rd Signal Troop. Posted to France from 15 August 1914, his unit was likely heavily engaged in rebuilding communications following the scattered retreat from Mons. Transferred from the Cavalry Corps Signal Squadron to No. 1 Corps Signal School on 2 November 1918, Hobbs was discharged at Chatham in April 1919, his Army Service Record stating his home address as 3 Castle View, Liskeard, Cornwall.

Sold with a contemporary brass medal mounting bar, this impressed ‘RE’ and ‘9051’, with improvised soldered lugs to reverse; and copied service record.