A good Great War Battlecruiser Operations Battle of Heligoland Bight, Battle of Dogger Bank and Battle of Jutland, and Second World War and long service group awarded to Stoker 1st Class A. Hodkinson, Royal Navy, From Christchurch, Derbyshire, he was most actively engaged aboard the battlecruiser Renown at Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914, Dogger Bank on 24 January 1915 and Jutland on 31 May 1916. He latterly saw service aboard destroyers and minesweepers. Award his long service medal whilst with the battleship Revenge in January 1930, he was then pensioned but recalled for both the Munich Crisis and the Second World War, during which he saw home service.
Group of 6: 1914-1915 Star; (K.12997. A. HODKINSON. STO. 1. R.N.); British War Medal and Victory Medal; (K.12997. A. HODKINSON. STO.1. R.N.); Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-1945; Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVR Adm. bust; (K.12997. A. HODKINSON. STO.1. H.M.S. REVENGE), mounted swing style as worn.
Condition: light contact wear, slight edge bruising, Very Fine.
Arthur Hodkinson was born on 18 May 1887 in Christchurch, Derbyshire, and having worked as a milkman, joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class (Portsmouth No.K.12997) with Victory II from 2 October 1911. Advanced to Stoker 1st Class whilst with Victory II on 2 October 1912, he was aboard the battlecruiser Princess Royal on the outbreak of the Great War. Princess Royal formed part of the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron and was present at the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914. She was then sent to the Caribbean Sea to prevent the German East Asia Squadron from using the Panama Canal. After the East Asia Squadron was sunk at the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December, Princess Royal rejoined the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron with the Grand Fleet. During the Battle of Dogger Bank on 24 January 1915, the ship scored only a few hits, although one crippled the German armoured cruiser Blucher. Shortly afterward, she became the flagship of the 1st BCS, under the command of Rear Admiral Osmond Brock. Hodkinson was still present aboard her when Princess Royal was moderately damaged during the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 and required a month and a half of repairs.
Hodkinson was posted to Victory II from 9 July 1916 before joining the destroyer depot ship Wallington from 11 January 1917, and seeing service aboard a destroyer until December 1917 when he transferred to the submarine base Dolphin, but was shortly afterwards transferred to Attentive II for service with destroyers until October 1918. He ended the war with Victory II. Hodkinson was aboard the minesweeper Ford from December 1918 to September 1919, and was aboard the minesweeper Saltburn from September to December 1919. Further service followed when ashore and afloat during the inter-war years, he being aboard the battleship Revenge when he was awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 21 January 1930. He was pensioned from service on 8 October 1933. Recalled for the Munich Crisis in 1938, he was then recalled again for the outbreak of the Second World War, and joined Victory II as a Pensioned Stoker 1st Class on 22 October 1939. Hodkinson was eventually released from service on 22 June 1944 having seen home service during the war.
