Neighbours of The Hobbs family in Union Street, Lurgan recall the day the telegram boy cycled up the street at pace to deliver the shocking news that many men enlisted from the surrounding area - Sloan Street, Hill Street, Edward Street and Castle Lane had been killed in the Great War.

The door of number 143 Union Street was opened by Mrs Hobbs who fainted as the telegram boy handed her the message which confirmed the news that tragedy had befallen her family. Not an unusual occurrence at this time. Except what sets Mrs Hobbs apart form the many, many mothers who lost sons to war, was that she had just been told that three of her four sons fighting in France were dead.

Compiled by Ken Austin from information supplied by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. www.cwgc.org. Our thanks to Jim McIllmurray for records he has provided of the sons of Lurgan who gave their lives in the war to end all wars.

We make this information freely available to genealogists and Family Historians, but at no time may this information be used on a pay site or sold for profit.