Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

VINCENT HODGMAN
Trooper Vincent Hodgman was one two Tasmanians who succumbed to pneumonia on the return voyage from South Africa.
Vincent Hodgman was a 20 year old miner from St Helen's while the other man, Trooper Charles Cundy, was a farm labourer aged 21. The two died within 24 hours of leaving Albany onboard the Drayton Grange en route to Melbourne.
With three other deaths onboard the Drayton Grange, two from New South Wales and one from Victoria, the public was naturally outraged and subsequently a Royal Commission was held.
Due to overcrowding and unhygienic conditions, some 17 sailors and soldiers died onboard the ship between Durban and Albany in Western Australia. A large number of the troops also had to be carried off the ship after reaching their destination.
Summed up Trooper Albert Brown of Somerset placed the blame solely on the transport officers at Durban for placing over 2,000 men on a troopship fit to accommodate just 1,500, secondly on the lack of control and discipline by the officers during the long voyage on an overcrowded ship, and aided by rough seas, with cold winds and heavy rains made the inroads of the various diseases and sickness easy.
Trooper Brown gave an account of the callous treatment meted out while sick to Trooper Cundy. He grew worse and several of his mates fearing he would die, carried him to the doctor in a blanket. The medical officer took one look at him and ordered him to walk around the hospital, exclaiming: "You're only shamming and men like you should be thrown overboard." Two days later Trooper Cundy was dead.
The hospital accommodation was wretched and Trooper Brown stated that more room should have been found for the sick in the officers' spacious compartments. Many of the officers were left behind at Durban because of want of accommodation onboard.
Trooper Brown believed that if the sick were landed at Albany their lives would not have been sacrificed, but the orders from the Western Australian Government were to the effect that infectious cases would not be allowed onshore.

http://www.tasmanianpioneers.com/6-contingent-1.html (www.tasmanianpioneers.com)

Vincent Lade HODGMAN was born on 13th January, 1882 in Brighton, Tasmania

His parents were William HODGMAN and Catherine HEAPS

He was a Private in E Company, 3rd Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse

Commonwealth Horse - Original strength 615 - Sub-units - 5 mounted rifle squadrons (three NSW, one Queensland and one Tasmania)  Left for South Africa between 1st & 8th April, 1902 on ships Manhattan and  Englishman

Fate: None killed or died of wounds, nine died of other causes

Returned to Australia in August 1902 on Drayton Grange

Vincent died of disease on the transport ship Drayton Grange on 5th August, 1902 between Albany in Western Australia & Melbourne, Victoria

He is buried in St Helens Cemetery in Tasmania

Link to photo of Monument in his Honour

http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/military/display/70850-troopers-cundy-&-hodgman

Articles on Trove about the voyage home

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/44276330http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/14456967

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/14456967