Joseph John Talbot Hobbs KCB KCMG (1864-1938)

Lt Gen Sir Joseph John Talbot (Talbot) Hobbs KCB KCMG

Born 24 Aug 1864 in Pimlico, London, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Son of Joseph Hobbs and Frances Ann (Wilson) Hobbs

Brother of Herbert Edward Hobbs, Emily Gertrude Hobbs, Clara Adeline (Hobbs) Wilson and Howard Frederick Hobbs DSO MC

Husband of Edith Ann (Hurst) Hobbs — married Apr 1890 in Perth, Western Australia (Australia)

Descendants

Father of Dorothy Edith (Hobbs) Hunn, Beryl Florence Hobbs, John Mervyn Hobbs OBE MC, Athol Joseph Hobbs, Maurice Talbot Hobbs, Marjorie Nancy Hobbs and Frances Elizabeth (Hobbs) Gordon

Died 21 Apr 1938 at age 73 in at sea

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1 Biography
2 Sources
3 See also

Biography

Talbot Hobbs KCB KCMG is Notable.

Talbot Hobbs KCB KCMG is an Anzac who served in World War One.

Lieutenant General Sir (Joseph John) Talbot Hobbs KCB KCMG VD was an English-born Australian architect, volunteer and militia artilleryman, and First World War general.

Formative years

Talbot Hobbs KCB KCMG was born in Middlesex, England.

Joseph John Talbot Hobbs was born on 24th August 1864 in Pimlico, London, the son of Joseph Hobbs and Frances Ann Wilson. ^[1] Talbot, as he was known to all, was educated at St Mary's Church School, Merton, Surrey.

Talbot worked as a draughtsman for builder, John Hurst; boarding with the family in Preston, Sussex from at least 1881: ^[2]

John Hurst Head M 37 Guildford, Surrey, England

Elizabeth Hurst Wife F 40 Bovinger, Essex, England

Edith Ann Hurst Daughter F 15 Poplar, Middlesex, England

Florence H Hurst Daughter F 14 Bromley, Middlesex, England

Emily L E Hurst Daughter F 10 Teddington, Middlesex, England

Joseph Hobbs Boarder M 16 Pimlico, Middlesex, England

Talbot enlisted in the 1st Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers in 1883.

Western Australia

Talbot Hobbs KCB KCMG migrated from England to Western Australia.

In 1886, he emigrated with the Hurst family to Western Australia and established an architectural practice in Perth in 1887. At the same time, he enlisted in the Western Australian Volunteer Field Artillery in Perth. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1889.

Talbot married Edith Ann Hurst, the Hurst's eldest daughter, in April 1890 in St George's Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia. ^[3] The West Australian published the following brief marriage notice on 28th April 1890: ^[4]

"HOBBS - HURST. At St George's Cathedral, Perth by the Right Reverend Bishop Parry, Joseph John Talbot, eldest son of Joseph Hobbs Esq, of Richmond, Surrey, England to Edith Anne, eldest daughter of John Hurst, Esq of Perth."

Together, Talbot and Edith had seven children, losing two in early childhood:

Dorothy Edith (1891-1969); married decorated Great War veteran Major Sydney Hunn MVO OBE MC Croix de Guerre, a woll buyer.
Beryl Florence (1893-98)
John Mervyn (1896-1972); attained senior army rank; married Constance Barber, daughter of decorated Colonel, George Barber; appointed OBE and awarded the Military Cross (MC) and Bar whilst serving with the Ghurkas during The Great War.
Athol Joseph (1899-1979); attained senior army rank; married Isabel Hearn (died two years later), Evelyn Croxon and Aileen Hamilton.
Maurice Talbot (1900-03)
Marjorie Nancy (1904-84); never married.
Frances Elizabeth (1907-99); married John Gordon OBE.

Talbot soon became a leader in the small band of Perth architects. He was the first treasurer of the newly formed West Australian Institute of Architects in 1896 (president, 1909-11). His success in the competition for the design of the Weld Club in 1891 began a series of commissions for important buildings, both public and private, in Perth and Fremantle. In 1905 he set up the firm Hobbs, Smith & Forbes in which he was the senior partner.

Talbot's artillery career also 'took off'. Transferring to the newly-formed Commonwealth Military Force's Australian Field Artillery in 1901, by 1903 he commanded the 1st (Western Australian) Field Battery; by 1908, as a Lieutenant Colonel, he commanded the Western Australian Mixed Brigade, and in 1913 the 22nd Infantry Brigade in the rank of Colonel. He studied to prepare himself for war, attending gunnery courses in England in 1902 and 1906 and the department of military science course at the University of Sydney, in 1909. He was attached to the British Army for training in 1897 and 1913. Most of this was at his own expense.

A devout Christian, Talbot was deeply involved in the affairs of the Anglican Church, serving in synod and on various councils and as architect to the diocese of Perth.

The Great War

Talbot Hobbs KCB KCMG is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Army 1887-1945
WA Volunteer Field Artillery; Australian Field Artillery; 22nd Infantry Brigade; 1st Division Artillery; 1st Anzac Corps Artillery; 5th Division; Australian Corps

Although fifty years of age, married with five children, and running his own business, upon the outbreak of (the First World) War Talbot transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 15th August 1914, his young nation's all-volunteer expeditionary force for the war, and was given command of the artillery. ^[5] Together with his Divisional Artillery (they would receive their guns from the Royal Artillery there), he embarked for the Middle East at Melbourne on 20th October aboard HMAT Shropshire A9. He commanded the 1st Division temporarily in October but despite his protests was evacuated from Gallipoli on 9th November suffering from dysentery. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on 8th November 1915 for his service commanding the Australian Artillery at Gallipoli. ^[6]^[7] After the expansion of the AIF in March 1916, Talbot went to France with the increased 1st Divisional Artillery which he commanded successfully throughout the heavy fighting at Pozières and Mouquet Farm. He was acting commander of the 1st Anzac Corps Artillery from October until December when he was given command of the 5th Division. His promotion to Major General followed on 1st January 1917. For two years Hobbs 'commanded a division with great distinction, made fewer mistakes than most, and earned the undying affection of 20,000 men', according to Major General (Sir) Brudenell White who had special opportunities for observing him. He was appointed to the Serbian Order of the White Eagle, Third class in 1917. ^[8]

Talbot was one of the three generals considered by Birdwood for command of the Australian Corps. He temporarily commanded the Australian Corps when it was withdrawn to rest in October and succeeded John Monash in command on 28 November 1918 as acting Lieutenant General.

Created Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the New Year Honours 1918 for rendering the most distinguished service as Commander of the 5th Australian Division, Australian Imperial Force, ^[9] and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the New Year Honours January 1919 for his military services in France and Flanders, ^[10]^[11] Talbot was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre twice (in 1919 in connection with the re-capture of Villers-Bretonneux and in 1920 for victory at Bullecourt) ^[12]^[13] and was Mentioned in Despatches, equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry, on eight occasions. ^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]^[20]^[21] He returned to Australia 28th September 1919, disembarking at Fremantle on 30th October, and subsequently relinquished his AIF appointment. ^[5]

Talbot's younger brother, sixteen years his junior, Howard Frederick Hobbs, was a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army and was appointed Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and awarded the Military Cross (MC) during the war.

Post war

He was re-appointed honorary aide-de-camp to the Governor of Western Australia, a role he first accepted in 1908 but relinquished due to the war. In addition to his public service, he resumed practice at his architectural firm and commenced an executive career in the private sector. He also responded to a call from the military in 1920 to advise the government on the organisation and arrangement of the defence forces, and remained in senior roles until his retirement from the army in 1927. In that same year he designed the State War Memorial in Western Australia, which was dedicated in November 1929.

Talbot played a central role in the erection of memorials for the AIF. In 1918 he designed the headstone that was subsequently erected for fallen Australian soldiers. He was then appointed to select sites and oversee the erection of memorials to four Australian divisions, and had a share in other important works in connection with Australian graves and cemeteries, the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, and the memorial tablet in Amiens Cathedral. This work became a devoted and deeply personal endeavour for him, which he continued for the remainder of his life after returning to Australia.

In April 1938, Sir Talbot and Lady Hobbs, together with their daughter Marjorie, were bound for France to attend the unveiling of the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. Aged 73 years, Talbot died at sea on 21st April 1938. His body was returned to Perth for burial, and a funeral with full State and military honours took place on 14th May. ^[22]^[23] Talbot was survived by Edith, who passed five years later, two sons and three daughters and their partners (one daughter remained single), and at least four grandchildren.