Staff Sergeant Albert E Hodgson

Corporal Albert Edward Hodgson was on Parachute Course 37 at R.A.F. Ringway, October – November 1942 and was posted to 225 Parachute Field Ambulance. On the 24 March 1945 he took part in ‘Operation Varsity’, the airborne assault part of the much bigger ‘Operation Plunder’ mounted by the British 2nd Army to force a crossing of the Rhine. For his actions on that day he was recommended for the Military Medal by his Commanding Officer, Lt Col. NJP Hewlings. During the Allied Airborne landings on the East of the Rhine on 24 March 1945 S/Sgt HODGSON was N.C.O. in charge of an R.A.M.C. Section, whose task it was to clear the casualties from the landing zone near Hamminkeln after the parachute landing by 5th Parachute Brigade. Immediately after the landings the area was being most heavily shelled and mortared and swept with machine-gun fire, in a desperate attempt by the enemy to destroy the airborne troops before they were completely organised. It was at this time that S/Sgt HODGSON was collecting his men, organising them into bearer parties and directing the collection of casualties to a C.C.P. He was repeatedly going out on to the open dropping zone himself in charge of a party of stretcher bearers. At one time a glider which had just landed became the target of enemy mortar fire. One man who escaped from the glider and ran to the C.C.P., reported two killed and three wounded still in the glider. S/Sgt HODGSON at once collected a party and led them to the glider. Three times he led his party running out to the glider in spite of the heavy and accurate mortar fire directed upon it. This N.C.O’s coolness and devotion to duty, always totally regardless of his own safety, not only contributed very largely to saving lives of many wounded men, but was also a fine example and inspiration to the men under his command. The award was published in the London Gazette 21 June 1945 and S/Sgt Hodgson was invested by H.M. The King at Buckingham Palace on Thursday 28th June 1945.