CHARLES HODSON 

2671 Private Charles Hodson, 2nd North Staffordshire Regiment, died of dysentery at Wakkerstroom, on 3rd June 1901, aged 34. He is buried at Wakkerstroom Cemetery, South Africa.

What do we know about Charles?

Charles Hodson was born on 15th January 1867 at High Offley, Eccleshall, Staffordshire, the eldest son of Charles (1839–1877) and Sarah nee Tildsley (1842–1913) and brother to Richard, Arthur, Sarah, Mary, Eliza and James.  (In 1911, his brother James was living at 44 Hungerford Avenue, Crewe)  When Charles was ten years old, his father died, and by the age of fourteen, Charles was working as an errand boy.

Charles first enlisted in the 2nd Battalion the (Prince of Wales's) North Staffordshire Regiment on 2nd Jan 1889, shortly before his 22nd birthday. He left the army on 1st October 1895, with a good character reference, and went to work on the railway on 4 February 1896. He was employed in the Millwrights Department at Crewe Works. Having rejoined his military unit in 1899, the battalion was deployed to South Africa, sailing in January 1900, arriving at the Cape on 3rd February 1900. Along with the 2nd Cheshire Regiment, 2nd South Wales Borderers, and 1st East Lancashire Regiment, the North Staffordshire Regiment formed the 15th Brigade under Major General Wavell. They were part of the main advance from the Modder River to Bloemfontein then to Johannesburg, fighting at Karee Siding on 29 Mar 1900.

He died of dysentery at Wakkerstroom, on 3rd June 1901, aged 34. He is buried at Wakkerstroom Cemetery, South Africa.