United Kingdom. Family Photo Album, Group Captain Hodgson, RNAS, RFC, RAF

This photo album contains photographs of the various members of the Hodgson family, dating back as far as the 1880s and features the life of its owner, Edgar Arnott Hodgson, documenting his life as a very young boy, to his involvement in the Boy Scouts, his First World War service in the Royal Naval Air Service and later, his service in the Royal Air Force in both the First and Second World Wars, including the interwar period. The inside front cover is inscribed "Edgar Arnott Hodgson / His Book / Born Wicklow 14th Oct. 1899. / From a design in his Grandfather's Copy Book 1849", with the facing page illustrating the Hodgson family coat-of-arms. This is followed by two two-sided pages of handwritten notes from his grandfather's copy book. The album itself contains 114 black and white photographs, some of which have faded to a sepia-toned look, 108 of which are mounted in the album, 6 are loose, one of the latter 6 board-mounted. The settings of the photos range from outdoor shots to studio portraits. One of the photos at the back features a leopard's jaw taken during his trip to Africa in 1925, with notations inscribed under many photos in white China marker. Also included are five Postcards, three Envelopes, a Kilruddery Camp at Bray Invitation 1916 and a Christmas/New Year's 1918 Card. The album concludes with another hand-painted Hodgson family coat-of-arms, along with six small newspaper articles. The album consists of 30 thick cardboard pages, with vellum inserts between the pages in most locations, measuring 240 mm (w) x 187 mm (h) x 55 mm (d), exhibiting some wear on the cover and light soling on some of the vellum inserts due to offsetting from the photos. Accompanying the album, tucked inside the back cover, is a No. 224 Squadron Invitation (inscribed "The Officer Commanding and All Ranks of No. 224 Squadron request the pleasure of the company of Group Captain E.A. Hodgson CBE / At a Cocktail Party in the Station Flight Hanger / Royal Air Force, North Front on Tuesday, 29th October, 1965 at 7.00 p m. / DRESS:- LOUNGE SUIT / R.S.V.P. to SQUADRON ADJUTANT / No. 224 SQUADRON / R.A.F. NORTH FRONT", printed in black, light blue and gold-coloured inks, on a white card stock, measuring 152 mm (w) x 113 mm (h)). Better than very fine.

Footnote: Edgar Arnott Hodgson was born on October 14, 1899 in Wicklow, Ireland. He is documented as having been at Bray, Ireland, to watch the first aeroplane flight in the country. He attended the Officers Training Corps at St. Andrew's College and was with the Royal Naval Air Service as of 1917 at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich. His RNAS service saw him with 213 Squadron at Vendôme, France in December 1917, at Cranwell in February 1918, at the Greenwich Aerodrome as of March 27, 1918, at Manston, Kent on May 6, 1918, at Dunkirk, France on May 13, 1918, before assigned to Ground Duties as of August 1918. The Royal Naval Air Service merged with the Royal Flying Corps, to form the Royal Air Force on April 1, 1918. He is documented as being with 105 Squadron RAF as of July 13, 1919, then being transferred to the Unemployed List on October 31, 1919. Hodgson graduated Cranwell in 1920. He passed through the Royal Air Force (Cadet) College, granted permission as a Field Officer as of August 16, 1922, the announcement appearing in the London Gazette 32751 of Friday, September 29, 1922, page 6910. He was a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force, when he was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer as of February 16, 1923, the announcement appearing in the London Gazette 32878 of Friday, November 9, 1923, page 7662. The album photos confirm that he was in Constantinople, Turkey in 1923, in Ismailia, Egypt on December 9, 1923, in El Arish, Egypt on December 11, 1923, in Sheikh, Somaliland in 1924 and attended an elephant shoot in Africa in June 1924. Flying Officer Hodgson was to be Flight Lieutenant, the announcement appearing in the London Gazette 33290 of Friday, July 1, 1927, page 4240. Flight Lieutenant Hodgson was the subject of an inquest that was held in September 1927 into the death of his Observer, Robert James Lothian. He was the pilot of a DH 9 aircraft, carrying out experiments with an altimeter over Hurst, Berkshire, when the tail of his machine appeared to fall, forcing Hodgson to rise up. On glancing behind him, "he found Lothian hanging on the end of his parachute strings. Seeing that the observer could not climb into the cockpit, he flew faster to tighten the strings, to give the observer a chance to climb on to the tail, but he could not do this." Hodgson "decided to make a slow landing on the aerodrome," coming down in a dangerous stalling position. The jury ruled that Lothian's death was an accidental one, noting "that great credit was due to Flight Lieutenant Hodgson for what he did in very difficult circumstances." Flight Lieutenant Hodgson was to be Squadron Leader, the announcement appearing in the London Gazette 34252 of Tuesday, February 4, 1936, page 738 and as of June 1, 1941, he was Group Captain with the General Duties Branch. During the Second World War, Hodgson was twice Mentioned in Despatches (MID), allowing him to wear two oak leaves on the War Medal 1939-1945. The first award was in the rank of Wing Commander (16054), the announcement appearing in the Supplement to the London Gazette 34893 of Tuesday, July 9, 1940, on Thursday, July 11, 1940, page 4268. The second award was in the rank of Group Captain, the announcement appearing in the Supplement to the London Gazette 36544 of Friday, June 2, 1944, on Thursday, June 8, 1944, page 2613. Group Captain Edgar Arnott Hodgson, Royal Air Force was awarded the Commander of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire, the announcement appearing in the Supplement to the London Gazette 37407 of Friday, December 28, 1945, on Tuesday, January 1, 1946, page 33, and placed on the New Years Honours List. Hodgson saw a promotion in substantive rank, from Wing Commander to Group Captain, effective July 1, 1947, the announcement appearing in the Supplement to the London Gazette 38020 of Tuesday, July 22, 1947, page 3417. Group Captain Edgar Arnott Hodgson, CBE was placed into retirement from the Royal Air Force, effective July 1, 1950, the announcement appearing in the Second Supplement to the London Gazette 38965 of Friday, July 7, 1950, on Tuesday, July 11, 1950, page 3568.