Page 90 - Phonebox Magazine December 2014

Edgar R Mobbs and Olney RFC
Edgar Roberts Mobbs, born 29th June 1882, was a resident of Olney, Buckinghamshire.
Edgar, a gifted rugby union footballer, played for and captained Northampton RFC and later, the England team in
1910. Subsequently Edgar was equally renowned for his outstanding military career in the Northamptonshire Regiment during the First World War. He was killed in action in 1917 whilst leading a charge at Passchendaele. As an acknowledged hero of the First World War; a monument to his memory was erected in Northampton, a testimonial to his heroic exploits.
Edgar was born in Northampton but spent most of his early years in Olney. He began to show his aptitude for sport very early. When eight and a half years old, and a scholar at the Bedford Modern School, he played rugby for a school team of under tens, and later obtained his place in the house team. A knee injury at sixteen prevented him playing rugby for five years, but he did play hockey and cricket for Olney.
It was not until 1903, whilst still residing at Olney, that Edgar again took up the game of rugby. After restarting his rugby career at Olney he 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. Edgar gained seven England caps in all and captained his final international match in 1910, against France. 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.
When he attempted to enlist in August of that year Mobbs was initially refused a commission as, at thirty-three, he was over the mandated age limit. He joined up as a private soldier and raised his own unit of 264 men as ‘D’ Company, 7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. ‘D’ Company included many Rugby players, including E. R. Butcher, captain of Devon, and H. Willett, captain of Bedford.
As part of the efforts to recruit for the Battalion, a ‘Grand Rugby Military International Match’ was played at the County Ground in Northampton on Saturday January 30th 1915. With the playing numbers in reverse order to modern practice, the England side contained ‘Lt E. R. Mobbs (East Midlands)’ at 3 (presumably outside centre); Pte Jack Gillam, (Olney) also of East Midlands, at 5 (wing); Lt. Henry Grierson of Olney and Bedford at 8 (No 8) and Pte E. V. (Ned) Mann of Northampton and Olney at 11 (second row).
Mobbs arrived in France in September 1915, and took part in the Battle of Loos. In March 1916 he was promoted to Major and in April 1916 took over command of the 7th Northants, later being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He was wounded by shrapnel in August 1916 while taking part in an attack on Guillemont during the Battle of the Somme. After two Mentions in Despatches in 1916, Mobbs was awarded a DSO in December 1916 for his work as a Battalion Commander. The 7th Northants suffered severe casualties during the Battle of Arras in April
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