Private. 9th Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Service no. 43140.
Early life:
Robert was born in 1883, registered in Keighley in the second quarter of the year. Parents John and Ann Hodgson. He was seven in the 1891 census and living at 18, Chapel Lane in Oakworth with his family who were:
The head of the household was John Hodgson a marble polisher aged 56; his wife Ann Hodgson on home duties, aged 45; Their children were:
Eldest son Fred a worsted weaver aged 23; Eldest daughter Henrietta, an alpaca spinner aged 22, Albert, a tube piler aged 16; Harry, a doffer aged 13, Sam, a doffer aged 11, Robert, a scholar aged 7; Willie, a scholar aged 3. Also here on the date of the census were John and Ann’s grandson John A., aged 1 month; nephews Charles, a wool sorter aged 16 and William, a scholar aged 11.
These were the people in 18, Chapel Lane on the date of the 1891 census, it’s 13 people so it would have been extremely cramped! We suspect the last three were just visiting…
His father died in 1900 at the age of 65, registered in Keighley in the second quarter of the year. In 1901 he was seventeen years old and still living at 18 Chapel Lane in Oakworth with his widowed mother and two brothers. He was working as a moving carrier for spinning.
We think Robert’s mother Ann died in summer 1910 and may be the Ann Hodgson buried in grave P31 at Dockroyd Graveyard.
By the age of twenty-seven in 1911 Robert was living at 26, Chapel Lane in Oakworth with his brother and sister-in-law, and one nephew. He was working as a general labourer in the building trade.
War service:
He enlisted in Keighley around May of 1916 with the Training Reserve Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers service no. 5/61543) but we have found no information of his training. He served with the 8th Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and was posted to the 9th Battalion KOYLI and was serving with them when he died of wounds on April 25, 1918. His body or grave was lost later and he is remembered on Panels 108 to 111 of the Tyne Cot Memorial.
War diary 9th Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, April 1918:
April 20. C Coy took over NORTH HOUSE with 2 platoons of the 2nd South African Battalion. Our own artillery commenced to shell ‘B’ Company trench (Left Coy) at 2.00 pm and when the SOS was sent up at 9.00 pm, bursts falling short from our own 18 pounders, killed 4 and wounded 4 men. The CO was in the trench at the time. In spite of remonstration one of our guns continued to shell ‘B’ Coy’s trench during the early hours of the 21st inflicting the following casualties:- 1 officer killed. 1 officer wounded. 12 other rankskilled, 11 other ranks wounded.
April 23. JASPER CAMP 1 mile SE of MILLEKRUIS. Battalion relieved by 1st E. Yorks R with a view to being rested and ‘fattened up’ for 2 nights, preparatory to taking part in an attack on WYTSCHAETE on the morning of the 26th.
April 24. JASPER CAMP 1 mile SE of MILLEKRUIS. Battalion rested. CO reconnoitred ground for attack along with OC 9th Black Watch, who was to cooperate on his right.April 25. Germans attacked about 5.20 am preceded by heavy gas bombardment 2.30 to 5.00 am and barrage from 5.15 am. CO made battalion stand to in SBR and went to GRAND BOIS to reconnoitre. He found no attack had developed by 5.15 am but when barrage went down, attack was expected momentarily. OC informed Bde., then returned to camp.
6.15 am. Gas had blown away and breakfasts were ordered.
6.30 am. Gas came on again and Battalion was moved to higher ground along CHEAPSIDE where trenches had been dug. Most of the officers and a great number of the men were suffering more or less from the effects of the gas. The Germans were now advancing and Machine gun bullets began to come over. Some fugitives from the French Div on our right were seen. The Battalion got into position and, as the Germans advanced, dealt out death with such success that the German attack came to a standstill and nothing could be seen except a few furtive skirmishers and some more stout-hearted machine gunners who kept up a desultory fire on our front.
[Robert died of his wounds but we have no more details. He may have been one of the wounded men from the ‘friendly fire incident on April 20, or he may have died from the effects of the gas attack on April 25]
Post war:
He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his war service.
Robert is remembered on the Oakworth War Memorial at Holden Park in Oakworth.
His brother Fred received the sum of £11 0s 0d on 26th May 1920, which included a war gratuity amount of the same amount.
