Charles William Hobbs, known as Willie to his family, was born in Boxmoor, Hertfordshire on Monday, 8th April 1895 to Charles Hobbs and Ada Perry. He was baptised on Wednesday, 15th May in the same year at St John’s Parish Church in Boxmoor. Willie was the oldest of five children born to Charles and Ada and his siblings who lived were: Henry, Mabel and John. A fifth child died although research has not been able to verify a name.

The family lived at 27 Anchor Lane, Crouchfield in Boxmoor and Willie’s father Charles worked as a "Carmans [sic] Carter", though this may in fact have been two jobs. At the start of the 20th century a "Carmen" was often employed by railway companies for local deliveries and collections of goods and parcels similar to a modern-day van driver. A Carter typically drove a light two wheeled carriage and it seems Charles did both. Willie’s Grandmother Elizabeth and his Aunt Emma also lived with the family at this time.

Willie went to Boxmoor JMI School starting in the Infants department aged five in 1900 before joining the Middle school in February 1902. He completed Standards I and II before he left the school just after his thirteenth birthday in April 1908 when he started work helping his father as a Carter.

Three years later in 1911 Willie and his brother Harry had found work with Dickinson and Co. Ltd, both employed as ‘General Labourers’ at Apsley Mills. Willie remained with Dickinsons on the outbreak of war, only leaving when he received his employer’s permission to enlist in 1915. Dickinsons sought to strike a balance between allowing men to enlist but ensuring that the business could continue to operate, so any man wishing to join the colours had to first consult with their Departmental Foreman. All who enlisted benefitted from a guaranteed job when they returned and the payment of a proportion of their wages whilst in the Forces. 

When Willie did enlist, he did so at Bedford in June or July of 1916 and was posted to the 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. He immediately went to Woking in Surrey for basic training and remained there for the rest of 1915. It is not known when Willie went to France, as no qualifying date is documented in his Army records, however he was not eligible for the 1914-15 Star so would only have gone to France sometime in 1916. The Battalion War Diary for 1916 did not record new drafts of men arriving in France so it is not possible to pinpoint Willie’s arrival. However he died in early May, so he would certainly have been fighting with the 8th Battalion in the area of the Yser Canal in April and May.

Willie died of wounds at 17 Casualty Clearing Station, Hazebrouck and is likely to have received his wounds sometime on or after the 20th April. He died on Thursday, 14th May 1916.

He is commemorated on the Dickinson & Co War Memorial in Apsley, Hertfordshire.

Willie is Remembered with Honour in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium where he is interred in Grave VI.C.28.

He was 21 years old when he died.

Willie was eligible for the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.