Sergeant Frederick Hobson VC

This short AI-assisted video examines the service of Sergeant Frederick Hobson VC, a soldier of the 20th Battalion (Central Ontario Regiment), Canadian Expeditionary Force, killed in action at the Battle of Hill 70 on 18 August 1917. Hobson was a veteran of the South African War who enlisted with the 20th Battalion in 1914. He was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for his actions during the German counter-attack at Hill 70 on 18 August 1917 and is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and the Hill 70 Memorial in Loos-en-Gohelle, France.

Sergeant Hobson is one of two Victoria Cross recipients in the antecedent lineage of the Queen’s York Rangers, the affiliated regiment of 337 Queen’s York Rangers Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps. The 337 QYR Virtual Museum holds a 2019 entry on Lieutenant Wallace Algie VC but had no dedicated entry on Hobson.

This video was produced in collaboration with the Hill 70 Memorial Foundation to fill that gap in the regimental archive.

Researched and created by Daniyal Elahi and Harris Elahi, as part of the Our Shared Sacrifice project, in collaboration with the Hill 70 Memorial Foundation. AI was used for visual reconstruction where no original footage exists.