| George Stacey Hodson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 May 1899 Belmont, Surrey, England |
| Died | 1 October 1976 Unknown |
| Allegiance | England |
| Service/branch | Aviation |
| Rank | Air Vice Marshal |
| Unit | No. 73 Squadron RAF; No. 213 Squadron RAF; No. 55 Squadron RAF; No. 58 Squadron RAF |
| Commands held | No. 44 Base RAF, RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor; No. 93 Group RAF; No. 92 Group RAF; No. 205 Group RAF |
| Awards | Order of the Bath; Member of the British Empire; Air Force Cross; French Croix de guerre |
Air Vice Marshal George Stacey Hodson began his military career as an English World War I flying ace credited with 10 aerial victories. In the course of his 34 years service to his nation, he rose to become a major commander during World War II.
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George Stacey Hodson was born on 2 May 1899. He was educated at Dulwich School.[1] He died on 1 October 1976[2] at Bognor Regis.[3]
9 September 1917: commissioned as a probationary temporary second lieutenant in the British Army; advanced to temporary second lieutenant on 28 October 1917. Later promoted to lieutenant.
1 April 1918: became lieutenant in the Royal Air Force on its first day in existence.[4]
9 September 1917: began pilot training in the Royal Flying Corps. Upon completion of training, on 28 October 1917 he was posted to 73 Squadron as a pilot.
April 1918: assigned to instructor duty.
August 1918: transferred to 213 Squadron as a pilot.[5]
1 August 1919: appointed Flying Officer[6]
24 October 1919: granted short service commission as Flying Officer.[7]
17 December 1920: granted permanent commission as Flying Officer; seniority 24 October 1919.[8]
1 July 1925: promoted to Flight Lieutenant[9]
1 August 1935: promoted to Squadron Leader.
1 July 1938: promoted to Wing Commander[10][11]
March 1919: pilot at No. 11 Aircraft Park
Assigned to the Care and Maintenance Party, RAF Norwich. 1 April 1920: assigned to same duty at RAF Lincoln.
15 March 1921: posted to No. 1 Flying Training School.
14 September 1923: assigned to 55 Squadron.
17 October 1925: posted to No. 4 Flying Training School.
14 February 1928: supernumerary to RAF Depot.
30 July 1928: assigned to No. 5 Flying Training School.
21 February 1931: assigned as Flight Commander in 58 Squadron. 7 October: became Adjutant and Instructor.
1 Octoberr 1935: assigned as Squadron Commander of No. 11 Flying Training School.
24 February 1938: began an exchange posting with the Royal New Zealand Air Force.[12] April 1938: took command of RNZAF Wigram near Christchurch, New Zealand.[13]
1 December 1940: appointed temporary Group Captain[14]
June 1942: surrendered command of RNZAF Wigram.[15]
1 November 1942: appointed acting Air Commodore.
1 May 1943: promoted to War Substantive Wing Commander.
1 December 1943: appointed temporary Air Commodore
9 August 1944: appointed acting Air Vice Marshal[16]
23 January 1945: confirmed as Group Captain with seniority of 1 June 1944.
9 August 1945: appointed War Substantive Air Commodore.[17]
1 September 1945: relinquished appointment as acting Air Vice Marshal.[18]
6 April 1940: exchange posting with the Royal New Zealand Air Force altered to special duty.
1 May 1943: became Air Officer Commanding, No. 44 Base RAF, RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor.
9 August 1944: assigned as Air Officer Commanding, No. 93 Group RAF.
23 February 1945: assigned as AOC No. 92 Group RAF.
August 1945: Air Officer Training, Headquarters RAF Bomber Command[19]
19 January 1947: again appointed acting Air Vice Marshal.[20]
1 July 1947: promoted to Air Commodore.
1 January 1950: promoted to Air Vice Marshal.[21]
1 April 1946 assigned as Air Officer in Charge of Administration at HQs, RAF Coastal Command.
1 February 1947: posted as AOC No. 205 Group RAF. During this posting, he was in charge of relocating airfields in Egypt from the Nile Delta south along the shores of the Suez Canal. His headquarters switched from Heliopolis to RAF Fayid, even as 205 Squadron was stripped of its Lancasters. They were replaced by rotating detachments of Lincolns from RAF Bomber Command.
30 December 1949: Senior Air Staff Officer, HQ RAF Reserve Command
1 August 1950: SASO HQ RAF Home Command.[22]
7 September 1951: retired from Royal Air Force.[23]
Companion of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath 1 January 1946[24]
Order of the British Empire gazetted 11 June 1942[25] awarded to Group Captain George Stacey Hodson RNZAF.[26]
Air Force Cross gazetted 3 June 1919.[27]
Croix de guerre from the Kingdom of Belgium gazetted on 15 July 1919[28]
First four victories scored while with No. 73 Squadron RAF; remainder scored with No. 213 Squadron RAF.
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 March 1918 @ 1425 hours | Sopwith Camel serial number B7291 | Fokker Triplane fighter | Destroyed by fire | West of Bohain-en-Vermandois, France | |
| 2 | 13 March 1918 @ 1015 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B7291 | Albatros D.V fighter | Destroyed by fire | Wambaix, France | |
| 3 | 22 March 1918 @ 1505 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B7282 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | Marteville | |
| 4 | 31 March 1918 @ 1000 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n C8292 | Albatros D.V | Destroyed by fire | Abancourt-Warfusée | |
| 5 | 18 September 1918 @ 1050 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n D3341 | Observation balloon | Destroyed | La Barriere | Victory shared with aces David Ingalls, Harry Coleman Smith |
| 6 | 24 September 1918 @ 1450 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n D3341 | Fokker D.VII fighter | Driven down out of control | Southwest of Thorout, Belgium | |
| 7 | 24 September 1918 @ 1455 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n D3341 | Fokker D.VII | Destroyed | ||
| 8 | 24 September 1918 @ 1730 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n D3341 | Rumpler reconnaissance plane | Destroyed by fire | St.-Pierre-Capelle | Shared victory with David Ingalls |
| 9 | 4 October 1918 @ 1555 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n F3965 | Fokker D.VII | Destroyed | South of Roulers, Belgium | |
| 10 | 14 October 1918 @ 1430 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n D3400 | Fokker D.VII | Destroyed | Beerst, Belgium | |
| [29] |
Aerial victory standards of World War I
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