William John HODGON
Year of Birth: 1886
Place of Birth: Gladstone, Queensland, Australia
Date of Enlistment: 15 September 1915
Date and Place of Embarkation: 18 May 1916 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Ship: HMAT Demosthenes A64
Rank: Private
Unit(s): 41st Infantry Battalion
Regimental Number: 446
Died: 28 November 1918
William John Hodgon was born 14 June 1886 in Gladstone, Queensland to William Hodgon and Mary Naomi (Minnie) (nee Brittain). He was their oldest son and second child. His siblings were Bessie Jane (b. 1885), William John (b. 1886), Richard Henry (b. 1887), Isabella Alice (b. 1889), George Lawrence (b. 1891), Leslie Rowley (b. 1895, d. 1902), Cecil Vivian (b. 1897), Eric Walter (b. 1898), and Pearl Pansie (b. 1900).
William was the first of three brothers to enlist, he was followed by Cecil on the 20 September 1915 and George on 8 November 1915. George returned to Australia on 19 October 1917 and Cecil on 20 May 1919. All had joined the 41st Battalion.
When William enlisted his was 29 years 8 months old, 6 feet tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and turning grey hair. He was Church of England. He named his mother, Minnie Hodgon, his next of kin.
William embarked on 18 May 1916 from Sydney on the HMAT Demosthenes A64.
The ship arrived at Plymouth England on 20 July 1916 and by 27 October, Private Hodgon was appointed to the rank of Driver. On 24 November the Battalion left Southampton for France.
Over the next 12 months Hodgon was admitted to hospital several times, sick with mumps, scabies, dermatitis, back injuries from accidents. He was repatriated to hospital in England in January 1918 where he spent several months before returning to France on 24 May 1918. He rejoined his battalion and was appointed the rank of Lance Corporal on 17 November. Shortly after he was admitted to hospital at Abbeville France with influenza, declared dangerously ill on 25 November when his mother was notified. He died of bronchial pneumonia on 28 November 1918.
He was buried at the Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension France.
His mother received his war medals as his father’s whereabouts were unknown.
Online Resources
NAA: B2455 (HODGON W A) National Archives of Australia
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
Australian Light Horse Studies Centre
Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages
Ancestry.com.au: Queensland Electoral Rolls
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