FOOTBALLERS’ COMPANY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9794, 18 October 1917, Page 2

FOOTBALLERS’ COMPANY

THE STORY OF “MOBBS’ OWN.’’ The romance of L;eut.-Colonel Edgar Mobbs’ army career has ended tragically. The famous Midland Rugby footballer was killed leading his men in an earlier Ypreo battle. Mobbs was one of Kitchener’s “First Hundred Thousand.” Ho applied for a commission, but it was refused because he was too old. But ho was granted permission by the War Office to raise a company of one of the battalions of \the Nortnamptons and composed almost entirely of footballers. it was known as “Mobbs’ Own.” Ho proved a magnificent soldier, and was soon given the commission he had applied for. Promotion followed with amazing rapidity and six months or more ago ho assumed command of the battalion in which ho enlisted as a private. Mobbs used to tell some laughable stories of his early soldiering days when battalions were raised so rapidly that they could not be efficiently officered. “One day,” he said, “we had a tremendous paraffe which I shall never forgot as long as I live. None of us knew what we were- doing. A new major hail come down and he trot us into some sort of a lino. Then ho walked along it while we trembled and much to my astonishment he called me out. I wondered what I had done, but ho said: ‘You are sergeant-major ’ I said; ‘Oh. whatever’s that, sir?’ He replied: “You must do your best!’” Another story concerned an officer with rod on his coat. "Wo were always frightened in those days,” said Mobbs, “when we raw an officer wearing red, and you can imagine how I felt when he told me he wanted a fatigue party of forty men.” "Certainly,” I replied, “but I haven’t tho slightest idea what a fatigue party is." He said I was the most extraordinary sergeant-major he had ever seen, and I think ho was right.”