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
Born8 August 1908
Elham, Kent
Died7 November 1977 (aged 69)
Bromley, London
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1928–1960
RankMajor-General
Commands held104th Regiment (Essex Yeomanry), Royal Horse Artillery
2nd Infantry Brigade
RMA Sandhurst
1st Division
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
RelationsSir 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

  1. "Obituary: Brig.-Gen. R. F. A. Hobbs". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 14 July 1953. p. 8.
  2. Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  3. ESPN Scrum
  4. Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003.
Military offices
Preceded by
Guy Gregson
General Officer Commanding the 1st Division
19591960
Succeeded by
Division Disbanded
Preceded by
David Dawnay
Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
19541957
Succeeded by
Ronald Urquhart
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