TRIBUTES have been paid to a war hero who participated in one of the Second World War’s most important military operations, the D-Day Landings.
Ken Hobbs had a remarkable life as he was involved in the Normandy Landings on June 6, 1944, which resulted in the liberation of occupied France, and paved the way for victory in western Europe, and the eventual surrender of Nazi Germany.
He was born on February 12, 1923, to William and Mabel in Framfield, East Sussex, and had two younger sisters, Mildred and Betty.
Ken’s father served in the First World War as a frontline ambulance driver.
Ken attended Uckfield Parochial School and left at the tender age of 14 (which was normal leaving age). He subsequently bought a lorry and ran his own furniture removal and storage business.
His father arranged for him to attend Engineering School in Croydon, hoping to further hone Ken’s natural aptitude in mechanics.
As a young teenager, Ken was hard-working. During weekends and school holidays, he would return home to carry on his work as a delivery driver for Wilde Groceries.
Ken was also second chauffeur for Major Guy Larnach-Nevill, 4th Marquess of Abergavenny. However, his tenure was cut short by the outbreak of the Second World War.
The war meant the country needed to use all available resources. Flax factories were in great demand and Ken’s company was responsible for installing the machinery.
The factories produced equipment and clothing, including uniforms, coats, parachute harnesses, ropes, tarpaulins and cover glides used to transport troops.
Ken worked as an engineer in those factories in Uckfield and Derby, and this was a reserved occupation and he was not conscripted in February 1941 at the age of 18.
He then received a letter from his cousin who urged him to join the Navy.
Ken enlisted in the Navy, hoping to serve on the same ship as his cousin. However, he was told there were insufficient ships to men at the time.
Instead, the Army told him they needed good drivers urgently and Ken immediately took on the vital role.
He joined the Royal Army Service on January 22, 1942, in Derbyshire. His six-month mandatory “foot slogging” training took place in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire.
Over the next 18 months, Ken delivered and fetched essential cargo for the war effort from Scotland to Salisbury. He also helped maintain the vehicles.
The timings of the D-Day Landings were kept a close secret, Ken’s regiment was only given three months’ prior warning to do military drills and practise in preparation for the Landings on Normandy beaches.
When the day arrived, the troops gathered off the Normandy Coast. Ken was part of the 3rd British Division. The sea was rough and Ken’s division were prepared for H-Hour, which was the name given to the start of the amphibious assault on Normandy, and his regiment was scheduled to land on Sword Beach at 7.05am.
Ken said he wasn’t worried or nervous, because he was just there to “get the job done”.
As Ken was an excellent driver, he was assigned to drive one of the first vehicles onto the beach, a three-tonne Bedford truck.
A landing craft next to him was struck by artillery, but Ken remained calm and his quick-thinking helped him and his comrades carry on their mission. He had advised fellow soldiers during training to keep their foot fully on the throttle at all times especially when first entering the sea.
Ken said this was like “hitting the wall” and if they failed to do so it would stall the engine and they would all face death from enemy fire.
It is almost impossible for any of us to imagine the seemingly endless horror the troops had faced during the campaign, which was pivotal to the Allies’ success.
Ken said the scenes of Sword Beach was “horrific, with dead bodies everywhere, all young men, total carnage…it’s a wonder I’m here.”
Because of Ken’s resilience, skill and determination, he made it to the planned checkpoint. He recalled he met a Frenchman at the top of the beach who said “Hello Tommy, I knew you would come back one day.”
After the success of the campaign, Ken drove ammunitions, fuel and other materials back and forth near the frontline. His next objective was to defend Pegasus Bridge until the main British invasion force arrived.
Ken travelled northeast from Caen in his three-tonne Bedford truck. He carried out important roles such as mechanical repairs, maintenance of military vehicles and fetching ammunition, high explosives, food and troops to the frontline heading towards Berlin.
After the Allied victory, Ken and his comrades reported to the Commonwealth War Commission where they were taken to a warehouse that had with thousands of coffins. They were tasked with identifying the corpses from dog tags to establish their exact names, regiment and religion.
They were extremely difficult times, as Ken recalled. They had daily rations of five cigarettes, five boiled sweets, a small square of Cadbury’s chocolate and a tablet, which Ken believed was a tranquiliser.
Before the D-Day Landings, they were given prayer books which Ken kept after the war had finished. As a result of Ken’s bravery, he was awarded the following:
- The 1943-1945 Star
- The France and German Star
- The Defence Medal 1945
- The War Medal 1939-1945 with a bronze oak leaf to signify he was mentioned in despatches
- The Chevalier de L’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur as advised on October 19, 2015
After the war, he worked in Southdown Motor Services, driving buses from East Sussex to Kent, Eastbourne to Brighton, as well as Hastings and Tunbridge Wells.
He then took on various jobs which included working at the Co-Operative Wholesale Society, and Eastbourne Garage where he serviced electric milk floats and other vehicles.
In the late 1940s, he met his future wife Georgina and they married in 1951.
They had three sons, Gary, Malcolm and Christopher. All of his sons inherited Ken’s skills and interest in mechanics and motoring.
When Ken turned 100, he said one of the best presents he had received was the arrival of another great grandchild.
On the 75th anniversary of the Normandy Landings, Ken was invited to a commemoration ceremony at Southsea Common in Portsmouth on June 5, 2019. The event was also attended by the late Queen and King Charles, who was Prince of Wales at the time, and world leaders from 16 other countries.
Ken passed away aged 101 and family, friends and members from the Eastbourne and District Veterans Association attended his memorial service in May.
Information is sourced from Bob McKinnon and Gill Merlin.
