| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Fred Hodgson enlisted the 16 Nov 1914, joining the 13th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment, the 4th Hull Pals Battalion (popularly referred to as “T’Others”). He rose through the ranks and became a sergeant. He went with the 13th to Egypt in Dec 1915 to perform guard duties on the Suez Canal which was under threat from the Ottoman Turks. In Mar 1916 they were redeployed to France and took part in the Battle of the Somme. In the spring of 1917 they took part in the Battle of Arras, particularly at the action at Oppy Wood on 3 May. The Beverley Guardian of 17 Nov 1917 contained a photograph of Fred and noted he had been twice wounded. The 13th were disbanded on 8th Feb 1918, Fred switched to the 9th and then the 22nd Battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers. They took part in actions on the Somme in spring 1918 and the Lys in the summer. Fred received further unspecified wounds during this time and they were sufficiently serious for him to be discharged from the army on 4 Dec 1918 at Catterick Camp as being unfit for further service. He was awarded the Silver Badge. He was also given the War and Victory Medals.
Fred was born in Lund near Beverley the 17 May 1880. His father Thomas Hodgson, was a farm labourer and married Sarah Green from Holme on the Wolds in 1858. Fred was one of nine children. The family lived in a farm cottage in the village and Fred also became a farm worker. He later moved to Beverley. In 1909 he was recorded as a shipyard labourer and in 1911 as a rulleyman (carter) for a corn and cake merchant. In 1907 he had married Hannah Elizabeth Cock of Beverley, they had a daughter, Sarah Ann, born 1909. Hannah died in 1910, then Fred married his housekeeper, Emma Knapton, from West Newton. They had two children Frank, born 6 Aug 1911 and Harold, born 4 May 1919. They lived at 72 Trinity Lane.
After the war Fred returned to labouring and is recorded as such in the 1939 register. The family lived at 18 Wilbert Grove, Emma was described as a housewife, Harold an apprentice bricklayer and Frank an assistant elementary teacher. Fred and Emma both died in 1955.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |