Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Albert (Bert) Hodge #4172 15th Battalion / 14th Field Artillery Brigade
At first glance, Bert Hodge’s name on the Coorparoo Methodist Plaque seems to be difficult to explain. He was born in Toowong and attended Central Boys School. Bert gave his address as Ferry Street, Hill End. A closer examination of Bert’s military records reveals that he was employed as an architect or architectural draftsman in the firm of Henry Wallace Atkinson. Henry Atkinson lived at “Martha Villi” Cavendish Road and was the father of Captain James Atkinson (see Atkinson above). It is reasonable to assume that when the memorial plaque was being commissioned, Henry Atkinson, a prominent member of the congregation had the name of his employee, Bert Hodge, included along with the name of his own son. Bert is listed on the Coorparoo plaque as R. Hodge. Perhaps this was a misprint when the plaque was cast (B and R could look similar if handwriting was unclear). Most official records state his name as Albert but he obviously called himself Bert as this was the name he gave when he enlisted.
Bert Hodge was the elder of two brothers who enlisted and were killed at Passchendaele less than a month apart. Bert’s father, John Hodge, was a surgical instrument maker, as was Bert’s younger brother John (jnr). When Bert presented himself for enlistment on 18 August 1915, recruitment for the AIF was at its high point. Newspapers were full of stories from Gallipoli and Albert Jacka had recently won the first Victoria Cross by an Australian.
Bert was drafted into the 15th Battalion as a reinforcement and sailed for Egypt on the “Kyarra” on 3rd January 1916. By the time Bert arrived at Alexandria some six weeks later, the AIF was going through a massive expansion. Original Gallipoli battalions were split to form the nucleus of two new battalions, with numbers to be made up from the flood of reinforcements then in Egypt. Each newly created infantry brigade was to be supported by machine gun companies and field artillery. On 1st April 1916, Bert Hodge was transferred to the 14th Field Artillery Brigade. Bert arrived in Marseilles on 27th June 1916 and the brigade proceeded to Boulogne to collect new field guns before being deployed into the northern sector near Armentieres.
The 14th FAB supported the 5th Division attack at Fromelles in early July 1916 before moving south to the Somme in November. On 17th November, Bert Hodge was wounded in action. His records indicate that these were gunshot wounds to the legs and thigh but for an artillery man, it is more likely that he was wounded by counter battery artillery fire. By 26 November Bert was at Beaufort War Hospital in England. He was transferred to a Convalescent Depot on 18th December and was granted a furlough of seven days which he overstayed by one day, probably because it was Christmas. For his crime, Bert was given 2 days confined to barracks and lost two days pay.
After spending some time at the huge training camp at Etaples in France, Bert rejoined his unit at the end of March 1917. By this time, the Germans had retreated to the fortified Hindenburg line on the Somme and the British command shifted its focus north to Flanders. After taking part in the battle of Messines in June (where 3 and half million artillery shells were fired by the British forces) the 14th FAB continued to support Australian Infantry as they moved east from Ypres down the Menin Road towards the Passchendaele Ridge. During one such action, Bert Hodge was killed in action.
Most people are familiar with the haunting images of the Passchendaele battlefield as depicted in the famous photographs by Frank Hurley and Hubert Wilkins; mud, devastated landscapes and smashed equipment. It is not surprising that even though Bert was buried near where he fell, by war’s end his grave had been lost.
Bert Hodge is commemorated on the memorial tablets of the Menin Gate at Ypres, along with 55,000 other British and Dominion troops who fell in Flanders but have no known grave. Two weeks after Bert was killed, his younger brother John of the 15th Battalion was also killed at Passchendaele. Bert’s mother completed the circulars for the Roll of Honour for both boys but by the time that medals and memorial scrolls were being issued to next of kin, Mary Hodge had died. Bert’s father received an annuity from T and G Mutual Life and the Empire Medal and Victory Medal for each of his sons.
It was perhaps some small comfort to John Hodge (snr) that the citizens of Ypres have conducted a ceremony every evening, including the playing of the last post, at the Menin Gate since 1923 to honour those who gave their lives in that great conflict.