- SURNAME
Hodkinson
- FORENAME
John
- UNIT
9 Commando
- RANK
Lance Sergeant
- NUMBER
3446114
- AWARD
Military Medal
- PLACE
Italy 1944
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Lancashire Fusiliers
16.04.1945 WIA
CITATION:
Military Medal : Ref Map - Italy 1/25,000 Sheet IV SE
During a Commando operation on 19th March 1944, Cpl Hodkinson Comd a bren team sited in a fwd posn subjected to heavy MG fire and enemy sniping. With his Bren Gunner killed, he took over the gun, and, in the space of less than an hour, inflicted a minimum of 12 certain casualties on enemy groups infiltrating forward. At one period he was knocked unconscious by the blast of a shell, but on recovering consciousness he immediately re-manned his gun and continued to inflict casualties on the enemy. For the space of ten hours, in an extremely cramped and dangerous posn, he continued coolly to fire his gun, breaking up three enemy attempts to dig in a Machine Gun on the high ground before him and with five of his own men lying dead around him.
His coolness and complete disregard for his own safety was an inspiration to all ranks.
During a Commando operation on 19th March 1944, Cpl Hodkinson Comd a bren team sited in a fwd posn subjected to heavy MG fire and enemy sniping. With his Bren Gunner killed, he took over the gun, and, in the space of less than an hour, inflicted a minimum of 12 certain casualties on enemy groups infiltrating forward. At one period he was knocked unconscious by the blast of a shell, but on recovering consciousness he immediately re-manned his gun and continued to inflict casualties on the enemy. For the space of ten hours, in an extremely cramped and dangerous posn, he continued coolly to fire his gun, breaking up three enemy attempts to dig in a Machine Gun on the high ground before him and with five of his own men lying dead around him.
His coolness and complete disregard for his own safety was an inspiration to all ranks.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7350514
Last edited by a moderator:
