Herbert Mobbs
Name Herbert George Mobbs
Rank: Corporal
Service Number: 3649
Units Served: 10th Battalion
Personal Details: Herbert George Mobbs was born on the 29th June 1895 in Truro South Australia. His parents were Joseph Herbert and Emily Elizabeth nee Merrifield. Before enlisting he worked as a grocer. He was 5 foot 6 inches tall with a medium complexion, hazel eyes and dark hair. He was a Methodist by religion. His vision was not great and he had tattoos on both forearms and his chest.
Enlistment Details: Herbert enlisted on the 7th September 1915, just 10 days after his cousin William George Delmar Mobbs was killed at Gallipoli. He was assigned to the 8th reinforcement of the 27th Battalion.
Details about his role in War: Herbert left Adelaide on the 12th of January 1916 aboard the troop ship ‘Borda’. On the 27th of February Herbert was allotted to the 10th Battalion in Egypt and was ‘taken on strength’ the next day. He then left Egypt on the 27th of March aboard the ‘Saxonia’ and arrived in Marseilles in France on the 3rd of April.
The first major action of the 10th Battalion on the western front was at Pozieres on the 25th of July 1916. On that day Herbert received a gun shot wound to the hand and was taken to the 9th General Hospital in Rouen. The following day he was transferred to England and was admitted to the 1st Southern general hospital in Birmingham. During his time here he wrote him to his parents, saying that “I suppose you have been worrying a bit but there is no need. I got shot in the hand in the attack at Pozieres. I was in two bayonet charges and it was during the second one that I got hit, we had just got to the German trenches and one of them fired straight at me, he was only a few yards off but it was lucky for me he was a bad shot.” He stayed in hospital for two months and was granted furlough on the 30th of September. On the 17th of October, he was once again admitted to hospital with laryngitis remaining there until the 2nd of December. He then joined a training battalion before once again going to hospital with laryngitis on the 13th of January 1917. He returned to the 3rd Training battalion on the 3rd of February and was made temporary corporal the following day. On the 21st of July he was made acting corporal until he left for France on the 25th of September. On the 5th of October, he was reassigned to the 10th Battalion in Belgium. On the 8th of October Herbert was making his way from Ieper to the front line to join battle for the first time since he was wounded in Pozieres. Unfortunately on his way to the front line, he was hit by a shell and killed instantly. Initially he was listed as missing but on the 10th of November, he was declared as killed in action.
Age at Death: 22
Cemetery or Memorial Details: Menin Gate Ieper, Belgium
