Henry Hodgson (British Army officer)

A group (including Brigadier General Grant, 4th Brigade, on the right), taken at Kuneitra, after the surrender of the town to Major General Hodgson, commander of the Australian Mounted Division (left), on 28 September 1918.

By the time the First World War began in August 1914 he was in command of the Eastern Mounted Brigade and deployed with them to serve in the Gallipoli campaign, where following losses it was amalgamated into the 3rd Dismounted Brigade, on 22 February 1916 along with the remnants of the South Eastern Mounted Brigade.[8] this new brigade was still commanded by Hodgson.[9]

Following the Allied withdrawal he went to Egypt and fought with the Western Frontier Force in the Senussi campaign. In February 1917, he was given his first divisional command, the Imperial Mounted Division, later renamed the Australian Mounted Division. His immediate commander General Harry Chauvel said of him "his masterpiece was probably his skilful withdrawal of his own division and attached brigades from Es Salt during the second Trans-Jordan raid, when, owing to the defection of certain of our Arab allies and a determined counter-attack by the enemy, he was surrounded on three sides, and his line of retreat almost cut off in extremely difficult country. His coolness and determination on that occasion, coupled with the bravery of his troops, saved Australia very serious losses, and earned him the complete confidence of his troops".[10]

Hodgson was promoted to substantive major-general on 1 January 1919, having only been a substantive colonel and a temporary major-general beforehand.[11] For his service in the Middle East he was awarded the Order of the Nile (Second Class) in November 1919, by the Sultan of Egypt,[12] and the Military Order of Savoy by Italy.[13]

He later became the Regimental Colonel of the 14th King's Hussars overseeing the amalgamation with the 20th Hussars when they became the 14th/20th King's Hussars. His last command was the 44th (Home Counties) Division before retiring from the army in 1927.[14] Henry West Hodgson died in London 5 February 1930 and was buried at the St Mary Magdalene Church Bolney England.[15]