James Hobbs was born at States Farm, Medmenham, Buckinghamshire on 19th September 1886, one of four children to James and Edith Hobbs.  His father was a farmer and dealer in cattle. He attended Lord Williams’s School in Thame as a boarder, where he was known as “Jimmie” Hobbs, and later served four years in the Imperial Yeomanry.

In 1911 he had emigrated to Canada and was living in Regina, Saskatchewan, where he worked as a fireman. He enlisted as a private (No.475881) on 30th July 1915 into the 3rd University Company, one of the reinforcing companies being raised in Canada and then married Ada Caulderwood the following day.

On 4th September 1915 he embarked on the SS Missanabie to England and on 21st January 1916 he joined the  Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment) in the field.

James was killed in action at Sanctuary Wood, near Ypres on 4th June 1916, one of 8430 Canadian casualties (killed, missing, or wounded) during the Battle of Mount Sorrell.

He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium, and in Canada on the Regina War Memorial and the honour roll at St Peters Anglican church, Regina.

In Thame, James Hobbs is honoured on the Lord Williams’s School Memorial Board.