Edgar Mobbs
Edgar Roberts Mobbs, born 29th June 1882 was a charismatic resident of Dartmouth House, Olney, Buckinghamshire. The house was the family home of Edgar’s parents during the early 1900s. In the past much has been written about the sporting and military exploits of Edgar Mobbs. In spite of his present relative obscurity he was, in his time, literally a ‘Boys’ Own’ sporting hero. At the onset of the First World War, then in his thirties, Edgar joined the Northamptonshire Regiment and was wounded. Later in 1917 he died a hero at Passchendaele . However, little appears to have been recorded about his links to Dartmouth House, his family residence for many years, and his association with Olney rugby, cricket and hockey clubs.
Edgar soon came to the notice of the Northampton St James’ (Saints) Club to which he transferred in 1905. Edgar became captain of Northampton Rugby Football Club in 1907, a post he held for six years during which time he scored 177 tries for the club. In 1909 he was selected by England to face the Australians. In this match he scored a try, the first ever for England against Australia but the game was lost by three points to nine. Edgar gained seven England caps in all and captained his final international match in 1910, against France. England won this away match by three points to eleven. Edgar continued to play first class rugby for Northampton, East Midlands and the Barbarians until 1913, when at the age of thirty one he decided to retire.
Shortly after Edgar had retired from his successful sporting career he was interviewed for ‘Boys’ Own’ magazine on 20th September 1913. He was thirty two years old and was justly referred to as ‘a sporting hero’. The article confirms that he played for the Olney rugby club for one or two seasons around 1903.
Mobbs was killed in action, in July 1917, at Zillebeke during the Third Battle of Ypres, while attacking a machine gun post. His body has never been found, so his name is on the Menin Gate memorial. He was honoured with the Distinguished Service Order.
In July 1921 a bust of Edgar Mobbs was unveiled to his memory at the north end of Northampton’s Market Square. The monument, by Alfred Turner, carries reliefs of ‘Sport’ and ‘War’ and is surmounted by a heroic female figure. The inscription reads ‘In memory of Edgar R Mobbs DSO, erected by subscriptions of admirers the world over, to the memory of a great and gallant soldier sportsman. When the Great War broke out he founded ‘Mobbs Company’, joined as a private and rose to command a battalion to which it belonged. He did his duty even unto death’. In the 1930s the monument was moved to be near the town war memorial in Abington Square. The bust is wreathed after the Mobbs Memorial Match.
Edgar soon came to the notice of the Northampton St James’ (Saints) Club to which he transferred in 1905. Edgar became captain of Northampton Rugby Football Club in 1907, a post he held for six years during which time he scored 177 tries for the club. In 1909 he was selected by England to face the Australians. In this match he scored a try, the first ever for England against Australia but the game was lost by three points to nine. Edgar gained seven England caps in all and captained his final international match in 1910, against France. England won this away match by three points to eleven. Edgar continued to play first class rugby for Northampton, East Midlands and the Barbarians until 1913, when at the age of thirty one he decided to retire.
Shortly after Edgar had retired from his successful sporting career he was interviewed for ‘Boys’ Own’ magazine on 20th September 1913. He was thirty two years old and was justly referred to as ‘a sporting hero’. The article confirms that he played for the Olney rugby club for one or two seasons around 1903.
Mobbs was killed in action, in July 1917, at Zillebeke during the Third Battle of Ypres, while attacking a machine gun post. His body has never been found, so his name is on the Menin Gate memorial. He was honoured with the Distinguished Service Order.
In July 1921 a bust of Edgar Mobbs was unveiled to his memory at the north end of Northampton’s Market Square. The monument, by Alfred Turner, carries reliefs of ‘Sport’ and ‘War’ and is surmounted by a heroic female figure. The inscription reads ‘In memory of Edgar R Mobbs DSO, erected by subscriptions of admirers the world over, to the memory of a great and gallant soldier sportsman. When the Great War broke out he founded ‘Mobbs Company’, joined as a private and rose to command a battalion to which it belonged. He did his duty even unto death’. In the 1930s the monument was moved to be near the town war memorial in Abington Square. The bust is wreathed after the Mobbs Memorial Match.
|
The WW1 memorial game
|
|
