Memorial plaque to be unveiled in tribute to Deddington's D-Day hero, General 'Hobo' Hobart

The plaque that tells the story of General Hobart will be set on a large stone on Hobart Way at the entrance to the Hempton Gate development in Deddington.

It will be unveiled to the public in a special ceremony organised by the North Oxon and Cotswold area Military Vehicle Trust at 2pm on Saturday, August 17.

Tony King, chairman of the North Oxon and Cotswold area Military Vehicle Trust, said: “It’s important that his memory is kept alive for future generations.”

General Percy Hobart was born in India in 1885 and raised in Chipping Camden, but was a resident of Deddington during the war years.

After joining the Royal Engineers in 1904, General Hobart served in France, modern-day Iraq, and Pakistan during the First World War.

However, it was not until the First World War had ended that Hobart made a name for himself by developing new armoured vehicle technology.

During the interwar period, he was promoted to major general and was praised as a great military innovator before his career took a turn in 1940, when he was dismissed from the military for his unconventional theories about armoured warfare.

After being dismissed from the army, General Hobart made Leadenporch House in Deddington his home while he continued to work on new armoured vehicle technology.

When Prime Minister and friend Winston Churchill discovered that Hobo had been dismissed, he quickly recalled the 57-year-old general to train the 79th Armoured Division.

The 79th Armoured Division was credited by General Eisenhower as being of incredible significance in the success of the D-Day Normandy Landings and ultimately allied victory in WWII.

Known as ‘Hobart's Funnies’, the division, comprising unconventional military vehicles such as mine clearers, bridge layers, flame throwers, and swimming tanks, cleared the path so that the assault could be launched by the Allies on Gold and Sword Beaches.

Following WWII, General Hobo remained in Deddington for a number of years before becoming Lieutenant-Governor and Secretary of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, before his death in 1957 at age 71.

Tony King said: “We are putting this memorial here so that in years to come people can learn about how important this man was in securing the freedom that we enjoy.

"The plaque depicts his story and also two of his machines that he developed. His inventions and ingenuity saved many lives and it is incredibly important that we pay tribute to him."

The unveiling event will feature a selection of military vehicles preserved by the Military Vehicle Trust and a parade by the Oxfordshire Home Guard.

To coincide with the unveiling, there will also be a special operations equipment display at the Windmill Community Centre, which is opposite where the ceremony will take place.

Originally, the plaque was supposed to be unveiled on the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, but logistics issues have meant that the ceremony will take place as close as possible to the anniversary of the Dieppe Raid.