HODGES, Norman Thomas
| Service Number: | 2098 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 June 1916, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 40th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Houghton, South Australia, 28 August 1891 |
| Home Town: | Houghton, Adelaide Hills, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Houghton Public School |
| Occupation: | Gardener |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Heilly, France, 29 March 1918, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Heilly Station Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Houghton War Memorial, Myrtle Bank War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Jun 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Aug 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 2098, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: '' |
|
| 28 Aug 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2098, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Anchises, Adelaide | |
| 29 Mar 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2098, 40th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2098 awm_unit: 40th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-03-29 |
THE LATE PTE. K. T. HODGES.
Mrs. N. T. Hodges, of Glen Osmond, has received news that her husband, Pte. Norman Thomas Hodges, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Hodges, of Houghton, died of wounds on March 29. Pte. N. Hodges, who has left a widow and one son, was born at Houghton on August 28, 1891. He enlisted on July 8, 1916, and after training left Australia on August 28
In the 43rd Battalion. He spent a few weeks at Codford Camp, and went to France on November 19, 1916. From there he was sent to Belgium, where he was chosen for work in a machine gun Battalion, and was transferred to the 40th Battalion.
He took part in the battles of Messines and Ypres, and was in charge of the Machine gun section when he was wounded on October 11, 1917, when the Australian troops attempted to take Passchendaele Ridge. He was some months in the Birmingham Hospital, and returned to France for the second time.
Pte. N. Hodges was loved and
honoured by all.
Observer 27 April 1918 page 39
Submitted 10 April 2016 by Daryl Jones
Biography
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Biography contributed by Modbury High School
Hodges was born on 28 August 1891 in Houghton, a small town in South Australia. He attended Houghton State School and grew up in a rural environment, which helped shape his values and work ethic. Before the war, he worked as a gardener. He was married to Lucy Edith Dorothy Hodges, who lived in Glen Osmond, South Australia.
Hodges enlisted in the AIF on 19 June 1916. He embarked from Adelaide on 28 August 1916 aboard the HMAT A68 Anchises as part of the 3rd Reinforcement for the 43rd Battalion. He held the rank of Private and was assigned the service number 2098. Hodges fought on the Western Front, where the war was brutal.
Hodges was admitted to hospital with gunshot wounds in October 1917 at Passchendaele. He was treated and once recovered returned to the field.
Tragically, Hodges was again wounded in action and died from his injuries on 29 March 1918 at Messines, Belgium in France with a gunshot wounds to the mouth that led to his death. He was only 26 years old.
He is buried in Heilly Station Cemetery in Mericourt-l’Abbé, France, in grave VII.A.50, where his name and sacrifice are preserved with honour. A photograph of the grave was sent to his wife.
Today, Hodges is commemorated at several War Memorial in South Australia and on the National Roll of Honour in Canberra. His story reminds us of the thousands of Australians who gave their lives in World War I and the ongoing importance of remembrance.
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