Arthur Hobson 1921-1945, age 23

Barnsley Chronicle 13th January 1945
Thanks to Barnsley Archives

Born: 1921 in Barnsley Q3 

Son of: Thomas Arthur Hobson and Lucy Hobson nee Mann. Thomas (1897-1984, died age 86) was a locomotive train driver.  The couple lived at 27 Raley Street, Barnsley.  

Military Service: Arthur was a Flight Sergeant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 630 Squadron, service number 1510732.

Death: 7th January 1945.

Buried:  Barnsley Cemetery in Grave 243, Section 9.

Find a grave link: here 
Commonwealth War Graves Commission link: here  
Remembered: St Edward's Church WW2 Memorial plaque, Barnsley and the Holgate Grammar School Old Boys WW2 memorial.

Note 1: The Barnsley Chronicle 13th January 1945 reported:

Barnsley Airman Killed

Returned From Home Leave Last Saturday

A deep feeling of regret locally will be occasioned by the news Mr and Mrs Tom Hobson, 27 Raley Street, Barnsley received this week that their son, Flight Sergeant Arthur Hobson (23), R.A.F., single, had been killed in operations. The shock is all the more tragic by reason of the fact that he only returned from leave on Saturday. A trained navigator he had been in the R.A.F. three years and was close on his time for ground rest after many operational flights. Before joining up he was a fireman on the L.N.E.R. and for the last three days he worked on the same engine as his father who is a driver and well-known throughout South Yorkshire as a bass-baritone singer.
Flight Sergeant Hobson is an old boy of Barnsley Grammar School with whom he played rugger and earlier attended Agnes Road School. The funeral is at Barnsley Cemetery to-day (Friday).

"Note 2:

David Mokes from St Edward's Church remembers;

"Tom Hobson or Mr Hobson as he was known to me lived at 27 Raley Street and I did know he was a renowned operatic singer. In the early sixties he used to come home on the Kingstone bus from work at 1.05 p.m, he was a man who I would describe as being "a good sort" he took me to two agricultural shows when I was in my early teens and once in the early sixties coming home from Leeds one Saturday afternoon he was the locomotive driver, I can see his smiling face now "get on my train I am taking you home". I would imagine that he would have been extremely proud to have had his son being the Fireman on the locomotive he was driving."