William Hodgson (RAF officer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Henry Hodgson
|
|
|---|---|
.png) |
|
| Born | 30 September 1920 Frankton Junction, New Zealand |
| Died | 13 March 1941 (aged 20) near Debden, England |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Service/ |
Royal Air Force (1940–1941) Royal New Zealand Air Force (1939–1940) |
| Years of service | 1939–1941 |
| Rank | Pilot officer |
| Unit | No. 85 Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
William Henry Hodgson (born September 30, 1920 – died March 13, 1941) was a brave fighter pilot from New Zealand. He was known as a flying ace because he shot down five enemy planes during the Second World War. William flew for the Royal Air Force (RAF).
He was born in Frankton Junction, New Zealand. In 1939, he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force. After finishing his flight training, he moved to the United Kingdom in April 1940. Soon after, he joined the RAF and became part of No. 85 Squadron. He flew many missions during the Battle of Britain, where he shot down several German aircraft. Sadly, he had to stop flying in February 1941 because his eyes were injured. He died a month later in a plane crash. He was a passenger on a Douglas A-20 Havoc plane flown by another famous pilot, Geoffrey Allard.
Contents
Early Life and Training
William Henry Hodgson was born on September 30, 1920. His hometown was Frankton Junction, near Hamilton. He had one brother. When William was young, his family moved to Dunedin. He went to Macandrew Road School and then King Edward Technical College.
After school, he worked as a technician at a radio station. He was also a talented rugby union player for Otago. In May 1939, he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). He learned to fly at the Otago Aero Club. Then, he went to the RNZAF No. 1 Flight Training School at Wigram. There, he flew different types of planes, including Avro Tutors and Fairey Gordons.
Joining the War Effort
The Second World War had already started when William finished his flight training. In March, he traveled to England by ship. Soon after arriving, he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF). He went through special training to fly the Hawker Hurricane fighter plane.
On May 25, 1940, William joined No. 85 Squadron. This squadron was based at RAF Debden. Many pilots in the squadron had been hurt during the Battle of France. William was one of the new pilots who joined to replace them. For the next month, the squadron trained hard. Their commander was Squadron leader Peter Townsend. The squadron soon started flying patrols along the east coast. They also protected ships from enemy attacks.
Fighting in the Battle of Britain
No. 85 Squadron joined the Battle of Britain on August 18. They were ordered to patrol over Canterbury. With three other squadrons, they met a large group of German bombers. During the fight, William shot down a Dornier Do 17 bomber. He also damaged a Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter plane. He believed he also shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109.
The next day, No. 85 Squadron moved to Croydon. On August 26, they were patrolling over Maidstone. They met 15 bombers and 30 fighter planes. William helped shoot down two more Do 17s. Two days later, he shot down a Bf 109. He chased it all the way over the English Channel.
On August 30, the German air force, called the Luftwaffe, launched another big attack. Many Heinkel He 111 bombers and fighter planes were seen coming towards England. Several of No. 85 Squadron's Hurricanes took off to stop them. William shot down two Bf 110s and probably destroyed another. He also damaged a He 111.
The next day, William was fighting over the Thames Estuary. He damaged a Do 17. He also shot down a Bf 109, which crashed near oil tanks. His own plane was hit and caught fire. He thought about bailing out (jumping with a parachute). But he saw he was over a town. So, he decided to try and land the burning plane. Even with smoke in the cockpit, he managed to land his Hurricane safely in a field in Essex. He avoided wires and other obstacles that were put there to stop enemy planes from landing.
By early September, No. 85 Squadron had only 11 pilots left. They were sent to Church Fenton to rest. Later that month, William was given the Distinguished Flying Cross. This award is for great bravery in flying.
Night Flying and Final Days
In October, No. 85 Squadron started training for night fighting. This was because the Luftwaffe was bombing more often at night. The squadron began flying night missions in November. For the next two months, they didn't have much success. However, William probably shot down a Bf 109 during a daytime mission on December 5.
In February 1941, the squadron moved back to Debden. They started using new planes called Douglas A-20 Havocs. By this time, William was not flying missions anymore. He was found to be medically unfit. His eyes had been hurt by a chemical called glycol. This probably happened when his plane was damaged the previous August. Later that month, he received his Distinguished Flying Cross at Buckingham Palace.
Death and Legacy
On March 13, William was a passenger on an A-20 plane. It was being flown by Flight lieutenant Geoffrey Allard, another famous pilot. Soon after takeoff, a part of the plane came loose. It wrapped around the tail fin of the A-20. The pilot lost control, and the plane crashed. Everyone on board died.
When he died, William had flown 150 missions. He was officially credited with shooting down five enemy planes. He also helped shoot down two more. He probably destroyed three other enemy planes and damaged two. He is buried at Saffron Walden Cemetery in Essex.
There is a special stained glass window in St. Peter's Church in Caversham, Dunedin. It shows William as a tribute to him. The window was shown for the first time in October 1941. There is also a road called Hodgson Way near Shotgate. This is close to where he crash-landed his burning Hurricane plane on August 31, 1940.
