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Auction: 23111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 588

Three: Private H. Hodgkinson, 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment, who was taken Prisoner of War on 18 September 1918

1914 Star (8509 Pte. H. Hodgkinson. 2/York:&Lanc: R.); British War and Victory Medals (8509 Pte. H. Hodgkinson. Y.&L. R.), minor polishing and slight edge bruise, very fine (3)

Harold Hodgkinson was born on 2 March 1887, the son of Henry and Alice Hodgkinson of 12 Welford Road, Wigston, his father was a signalman with the Midland Railway. Working as a winder in the nearby Griswold hosiery mill Hodgkinson later took up work as a carriage groom and enlisted in the army at Leicester. His character reference upon his attestation, an elementary school teacher named Samuel Ross stated that Hodgkinson had served with the Volunteer Force although he did not declare this himself.

While undergoing training and home service with the 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment he made good use of his training as a servant, being employed as Silverman in the Officers' Mess. Transferring to the Army Reserve on 3 July 1912 Hodgkinson took a job with the Great Northern Railway. On the outbreak of war two years later he was mobilised and posted to France, entering the war with the 2nd Battalion on 9 September 1914.

Here they became embroiled in the Race to the Sea, seeing heavy fighting in October around Le Touquet, Armentieres. They later moved into quieter trenches for the New Year, although Hodgkinson was not with them having contracted Trench Fever. He had re-joined them however, by the time they went into action at the Battle of Hooge and the action at Bellewaarde Wood.

Joining the Fifth Army on the Somme a week before the major offensive in 1916 they were not in action early in the battle, instead joining the offensive in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette in September. After further heavy fighting through 1917 Hodgkinson rank in the New Year in some discomfort and by 22 January 1918 was admitted to hospital with Pyrexia. A scalded foot courtesy of some boiling hot shaving water compounded matters and he was packed of back to Britain, recuperating at the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, Netley.

Returning to France he was posted to the 13th (Barnsley) Battalion before returning to 2nd Battalion on 20 August 1918. With them Hodgkinson took part in the final allied advance, the Hundred Days in which they pushed back the German Army in the west. Advancing against the enemy front on 18 September 1918 the 2nd Battalion took their objectives in the face of stiff opposition. Heavy losses meant that they were unable to hold back the German counter-attack. 44 men of 'D' Company were cut off in the village of Fresnoy-le-Petit and taken prisoner, including Hodgkinson. Taken first to Giessen he was then transferred to Cassel where he ended the war, being repatriated on 5 January 1919.

Returning to his job with the Great Northern Railway he moved to Doncaster, living at 5 Brook Street and later 42 Wheatley Hall Road. During the Second World War Hodgkinson was to act as an Air Raid Warden, he died in Leicester in 1971; sold together with copied service papers and a typed biography.

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Sold for
£150

Starting price
£50