ALFRED MEAKIN HOBDEY
4 November 1892 - 6 June 1915
At School 1903 - 1907
Pte 1413 1/6th Manchester Regt
Alfred was born in Fallowfield, Manchester, and in 1901, aged 8, was living at 27 Ladybarn Road, with father Henry, a Lead Oil and Colour merchant (paint), mother Fanny, 4 older brothers, 3 older sisters, 2 domestic servants and a Swiss governess. Alfred entered School aged 10 with his older brother George, 14. Alfred was a good athlete, winning the China Cup for the best performances for an under 14 in the 1906 Athletics Sports. He also represented the School on the Under 14 cricket 2nd XI and the School 1st Lacrosse Team "Point - A neat player but lacks weight." Hardly surprising for a 13 year old! On leaving School he went to King William's College on the Isle of Man, leaving there in July 1908. (Photograph from the K.W.C Memorial site). By 1911, the family had moved to 143 Palatine Road and Alfred was working as a shipper's clerk.
On the outbreak of war Alfred was mobilised with the 1/6th Battalion Manchester Regiment, a Territorial Battalion. It is likely that Alfred was a Territorial Soldier before the war, his service number of 1413 suggesting he joined in 1911 or 1912. The role of the Territorials in a national emergency was home defence and they were not obliged to serve overseas. However, on 10th August 1914, Lord Kitchener, the newly appointed Secretary of State for War, invited the Territorials to volunteer for overseas service for the duration of the war, the majority of whom did so.
While awaiting orders for their destination, the 1/6th together with the 1/5th, 1/7th and 1/8th Manchester Territorials made camp at Hollingworth Lake, near Rochdale, where rumours abounded as to where they would be going.
On 9th September the Division entrained for Southampton and embarked
for Egypt the following day, arriving in Alexandria on the 25th. The
Battalion commenced training and undertaking route marches through the
desert. There was also time for sport and a lacrosse match was held
between representatives of Lancashire and Cheshire.
In mid January 1915, the Battalio9n moved to Cairo as there were fears that the Turks would try to seize the Suez Canal and invade Egypt. However, the attack was repulsed without the Battalion having to be involved.
On 28th April, orders were received to proceed to Gallipoli, and on 3rd May the Battalion boarded the Derflinger, a captured German vessel, landing at Cape Helles on the 6th. On the 9th they were in reserve trenches, but under shrapnel shellfire, when they received their first casualty, Murray Blaikie, a fellow Old Hulmeian, who died when a trench collapsed, 7 others being wounded. The following day a further 7 were wounded from "overthrow bullets". On the 11th they went into the front line trenches for the first time in the Krithia Nullah sector. Unfortunately the troops they were relieving were not ready to vacate, so the Battalion had to lie for about half an hour under a Turkish bombardment. The War Diary notes that "the behaviour of the men was excellent and we were exceedingly lucky to lose so few casualties", only 11 men being wounded. The chief worry was snipers,who by stealth, crept up to about 5o yards from the firing line, taking advantage of the thick scrub in front of the trench. The Battalion suffered a further 5 killed and 15 wounded up to the evening of the 21st,when they moved back to reserve. On the 25th they were back in the front line, on the 27th making small advances amidst atrocious conditions of rain, floods and mud to straighten the line. On 4th June the Battalion was ordered to attack the Turkish trenches in front of Krithia, from the Ardwick Green and Stretford Road trenches, seen to the top right in the trench map below. A bombardment of the Turkish trenches was made until 11.20 a.m., when the guns ceased firing in an attempt to lure the Turks from their dugouts. Firing commenced again at 11.30
and the Battalion charged at 12 noon. The War Diary states "A B D (Companies) advanced with greatest gallantry and took first 2 lines of trenches, carried them and reached third line.At 12.15 2nd Line C Coy advanced splendidly and got beyond 2nd line of trenches. The attack was well supported on right by
5th, 7th, 8th Manchesters and on the left by the Hants. All the 127th Brigade who reached the line held on with great gallantry but owing to the lack of support were obliged to retire to the line of the first objective. The losses were very heavy and eventually the Battalion, strength about 150, held the line through the night of 4th June." The Battalion continued to hold the line until the 9th when they went into reserve trenches. The Battalion was reorganised as a temporary measure into 2 Companies of 2 platoons each, the Battalion strength at this time, including all detached men, transport etc was 8 officers and 291 OR. By comparison the effective strength on 12th May was 27 Officers and 726 OR. Alfred was wounded during this action and was evacuated on the hospital ship Ascania. Unfortunately he succumbed to his wounds on 6th June 1915, and was buried at sea.
Alfred is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.
Administration (with will) was granted to Fanny Maria Hobdey, widow, 24 June 1916, Effects £591 14s 5d.
There seems to have been some confusion over his date of death, as to whether it was the 6th or 13th. Interestingly the entry in the Army register of Soldiers' effects has been changed from the 13th to the 6th whereas it appears that the original notification was the 13th.
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THE HULMEIAN – July 1915 Deaths Hobdey – Died of wounds received in action at the Dardanelles on the 13th June, Alfred Meakin Hobdey, private 6th Batt. Manchester Regt., aged 22, youngest son of the late Henry Meakin Hobdey and Mrs Hobdey, 143 Palatine Road, West Didsbury. |
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THE HULMEIAN – July 1915 Old Hulmeians and the War Private A M Hobdey, 6th Manchester Regiment was killed in action at the Dardanelles on June 13th. He was the youngest of six brothers, five of whom were at the school. He entered in September 1903, and left in April 1907, when he went to King William’s College, Isle of Man. He was a good athlete and won the China Cup for Under 14 competition at the Athletic Sports in 1906. Two of his brothers (one an O.H.) hold commissions and are serving. |