Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Acting Brigadier

Awarded on:

December 20th, 1945

"Subject::Services of the Late Brigadier Clive Hobson, British Military Mission to China (Burma)
To: HBM, Consul General, Kunming China.
1. It seems desirable to make that which follows a matter of official record in reference to the services of the above officer. I certify as to the accuracy of those points wherein it is indicated that personal knowledge is the source of the information.
2. In March and Aprl 1942, the undersigned was the senior American Liaison officer in General Stillwell's mission on duty in Lashio. During that time, Colonel, later Brigadier, Clive Hobson acted in that capacity in reference to the British mission. It is a matter of history that at that time all of Burma was in turmoil and consternation and few realized the great emergency that existed and the unusual efforts required on the part of all of the Allies to impede the daily advance of the Japanese. The Chinese Allies came into Burma with the understanding of some well defined responsabilities that the Government of Burma had agreed to discharge. There were many other points that necessarily were not clearly defined in the agreement for the use of Chines troops in Burma. These required exacting and sympathetic attention and interpretation in order to achive a workable solution.
3. In his daily relations with the Chinese and Americans Brigadier Hobson had the very great advantage of having lived in Chine many years as a senior employee of the British-America Tobacco Company and, accordingly, had had considerable experience in working with both Chinese and Americans. I state without qualification that Brigadier Hobson was more effective in bringing those groups together and in arranging for the transportation forward and supply thereafter of Chinese troops then any other British or Allied officer with whom I came in contact during those unfortunate days. Some of the details described immediately below will indicate the type of work he accomplished.
4. On or about April 21, 1942, a large Japanese column had passed through Loilen and was enroute to Lashio with only two battalions of Chinese troops remaining at Lashio as the defending force against this advance. The Chinese had such confidence in Brigadier Hobson that they gave him command of one of these battalions and requested that to take it forward to block the enemy advance. The force was so small that it was able only to delay the enemy advance. Two days later, when most of the Chinese and other Allied forces had already evacuated Lashio, Brigadier Hobson remained there and was one of the last to leave.
5. Instead of evacuating himself, as did the great proponderance of British, Indian and other Allied officers who withdrew in front of the advance of the Japanese toward India, Brigadier Hobson personally informed me that, in full realization of the danger incurred therein and also his obligation to the Chinese troops, he chose to remain with them. The undersigned last saw Brigadier Hobson about May 1 at Wanting, China. At that time the Chinese forces were having great difficulty in withdrawing to the north because of an acute shortage of gasoline and Brigadier Hobson knowing that gasoline stores existed at Bhamo, went to that place with a convoy in search of it. In this mission he was accompanied by Captain Alex Mackay of the British Military Mission to China. Having obtained the gasoline in Bhamo and enroute back to deliver it to the Chinese forces, Brigadier Hobson was intercepted and captured by the Japanese forces at Nankham, Burma, and Captan Mackay was killed.
The information that follows is mostly hearsay, the source of which in fragmentary reports from official and unofficial sources. After stays of varying lengths in various prisoner of war camps in Burma, Brigadier Hobson eventually ended up in the Japanese prisoner of war camp in the Rangoon jail. It is understood that he was elected the commanding officer of Allied prisoners by his allied comrades. In his vigorous and forceful protests to the Japanese authorities regarding ill treatment of his subordinates, he is known to have suffered cruelly at their hands. On some occasions he was placed in solitary confinement and on at least one occasion to have had his arm broken by the Japanese guards.
7. Brigadier Hobson was killed when Allied planes strafed the column of Allied prisoners near Pegu who were escaping from the Rangoon jail.
8. Undersigned has served 3,5 years in Burma, India and China, mostly in combat assignments, with Allied officers during this past war. I know of none in the above area who were of a greater crdit to their country or more worthy of recognition for their performance of duty than was Brigadier Clive Hobson."
Signed
H.L. Boatner
Brigadier-General, USA
Deputy Commander

Originally recommended for a DSO but downgraded to a MiD