Private. 10th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment. Regimental number 18103.
Early life:
John was born on 31st May 1894 at Oakworth. His parents were Harry Hodgson and Mary Alice Hodgson, née Smith. They had been married in Keighley in the third quarter of 1893.
In the 1901 census they were living at Cure Farm. John was aged six and his father Fred was a farmer on his own account. He had an eleven month old sister named Sarah Ann.
His mother Mary Alice died on 9th of October 1908 and was buried at Slack Lane Baptist Chapel graveyard in Oakworth. John would have been aged fourteen when she died.
By the time of the 1911 census they had moved to 23, Sykes Head and Fred was a 43 year old widower and a worsted weaver. John was aged 16 and was a warp twister at a worsted mill, they may have both been working at Henry Pinder’s worsted mill on Lidget in Oakworth. John’s sister Sarah Ann was aged eleven and at school.
John married Mary Johnson in the last quarter of 1915, probably before he enlisted for the war.
John enlisted at Keighley on 11th December 1915 for the duration of the war, with the 11th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment. He was aged 21 and a weaving overlooker. He was called up on 24th January 1916, to Halifax.
He entered France on 12th July 1916 and was posted to the 10th Battalion West Riding Regiment.
With regard to promotion, he was made Lance Corporal on 15th June 1917 and to full Corporal on 26th September 1917.
He was wounded on 1st January 1917 and again on 24th October 1918. He won the Military Medal whilst serving in France, which was published in the London Gazette on 16th August 1917. This was mentioned in the Keighley News with his photograph, but it had no accompanying text so say how he earned it.
John later earned a bar to the MM whilst serving in Italy, which was published in the London Gazette on 21st January 1919.
This was reported in the Keighley News with his photograph and a paragraph of text:
Keighley News September 14, 1918, page 6:
NEW HONOUR FOR OAKWORTH SOLDIER.
Mrs Hodgson, of New House Farm, Sykes Lane, Oakworth, has been informed that her husband, Corporal John S. Hodgson M.M., West Riding Regiment, has been awarded a bar to his Military Medal for a brave act performed in Italy. Corporal Hodgson, who won his Military medal in France in June, 1917, enlisted in January, 1915, and has been in France about 2,1/2 years.
John returned to the UK on 13th December 1918 and he was transferred to the ‘Z’ Reserve on demobilization on 25th February 1919.
War service:
(Provided by Bill Smith)
Pte. John Smith Hodgson was one of a draft of 42 men who joined 10th Dukes on 22nd July 1916 whilst in billets at Millencourt. He had attested, under the Derby Scheme, on 11th December 1915; he was 22 years old (born 31st May 1894) and had married less than a month earlier. He was called up on 24th January 1916 and had trained with 11th Dukes before being posted to France on 12th July 1916.
He would have fought with 10th Dukes at Pozieres in July and again near Le Sars in October 1916.
On 18th December 1916, whilst at Winnipeg Camp, he was reported as having a “dirty tunic and badly fitted equipment”; on the orders of Capt. Frank Redington MC, he was confined to barracks for three days. He was again in trouble in March 1917 when in camp near Poperinghe when he, along with Pte. Edward Somers, was reported for “disobeying Battalion orders – ie, being out of camp”; on the orders of Capt. Alfred Percy Harrison, they were to be confined to barracks for seven days.
He fought at the Battle of Messines on 7th June and was awarded the Military Medal (no citation published, but reference in his obituary gives details). He was promoted Lance Corporal on 15th June 1917.
He fought at the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917, including in 10th Dukes assault on the village of Veldhoek during the Battle of the Menin Road on 20th September.
He was posted with 10th Dukes to Italy in November 1917 and was awarded a Bar to the Military Medal for his conduct during a large scale raid on Austrian trenches on the Asiago Plateau on 26th August 1918 (again, no citation published, but reference in his obituary gives details).
He was wounded (details unknown) during the crossing of the Piave River on the 27th October 1918. The details of his treatment are unknown, but he was evacuated to England on 13th December and was transferred to Keighley War Hospital on 17th January 1919 and spent six days there before being discharged. He was formally transferred to the Class Z Reserve on 20th February 1919.
Post war:
In the 1921 census John and Mary were living at 42, Bogthorn in Oakworth with their daughter Alice Elizabeth aged just eleven months. John was a weaving overlooker for Henry Pinder at Lidget Mill.
In the 1939 Register, John and Mary were living at 42 Bogthorn, with his wife and daughter; he was then working as an overlooker at a worsted weaving mill. Mary was on unpaid domestic duties. Their daughter Alice was aged 19 and employed as a pyjama machinist. She married Private John Thomas O’Hara who was later killed in the Second World War.
John Thomas Hodgson (MM and Bar) died aged 84 in 1978.
His obituary was printed in the Keighley News:
Keighley News, 7th July 1978:
An Oakworth war veteran, with a highly distinguished record of service, has died in hospital at the age of 84.
Mr. John Smith Hodgson, of 42, Bogthorn, was one of the best known figures in the locality and held the double Military Medal with bar.
During the 1914-18 war, he served in France as a sergeant with the 10th battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s regiment. In 1917, he won the MM when, despite being badly wounded, he led his company forward under heavy shell fire and “set a magnificent example and devotion of duty to the remainder of the men” according to his citation.
The following year, a bar was added for his platoon leadership, as “with great resource and courage” he pushed forward fearlessly to gain tactical positions against enemy trenches.
Until recent years, when he was plagued by infirmity, Mr. Hodgson regularly attended Duke of Wellington reunions and was full of reminiscences about the war days.
Most of his working life was spent as a weaving overlooker at Pinders Mill, Oakworth, and he regularly worshipped at Slack Lane Methodist Chapel. The funeral of Mr. Hodgson, widower who leaves one daughter, was held yesterday.
(Henry Pinder & Sons were worsted coating manufacturers at Lidget Mills in Oakworth.)
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
1901 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915.
Slack Lane Baptist Chapel graveyard in Oakworth.
1911 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
British Army World War I Service Records, 1914-1920.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
British Army Recipients of the Military Medal, 1914-1920.
The London Gazette.
1921 England Census.
1939 England and Wales Register.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
Keighley News obituaries at Keighley Library.
With special thanks to Bill Smith.
