151 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca HODGES, Edward G. WWII Edward was born in Elphinstone, Manitoba on September 3, 1914. He joined the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry on June 12, 1940 and transferred to the Calgary Tanks, serving in Sicily, Italy, Germany and Dieppe, France. He received the Service Medal, the Italy Medal, the Defence Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. Edward passed away on January 7, 1997 and was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion Erickson Branch 134 and Clear Lake Branch 67 for a total of 57 years. HODGKINSON, John Steven Fred “Jack” WWII Jack was born on February 11, 1920 and grew up in Kelwood, Manitoba, the son of Fred and Mary Hodgkinson. In 1939, he joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers. After garrison duty in Jamaica, the Winnipeg Grenadiers were sent on their ill-fated mission to protect Hong Kong. During the fierce battle for Hong Kong, Private Jack Hodgkinson was hit by shrapnel. His head wound was never surgically repaired until his return to Canada and he spent years as a Prisoner of War with simply a flap of skin protecting his shattered skull. After months in Hong Kong, the Grenadiers were sent to Japan. He first laboured in the shipyards and was then sent to Sendai – Camp 4B, Ohashi. Work in the coal mines there damaged Jack’s lungs such that when he was diagnosed with emphysema in his fifties, the doctor said his lungs resembled those of a man in his eighties. When Jack returned to Winnipeg in October 1945, he met Ladena Smith, who was residing in his parents’ boarding house. They were married in 1947 and had five children. He told his wife that he never wanted to talk about the war, that he wanted a happy married life with her, and he could not do both. Jack suffered from nightmares of his POW experience throughout his life and Decembers were always a difficult time for him. Every Christmas morning, Jack took a few quiet moments to himself before joining the rest of the family to open gifts, most likely reliving the surrender on Christmas Day and the hell to come. He was a quiet, generous man and a wonderful father who did all he could to give them a happy life. When poor health forced an early retirement, he spent peaceful times at Clear Lake. Jack was a lifelong member of The Royal Canadian Legion and proudly carried the flag at Remembrance Day church services and marches to the Cenotaph. He felt strongly about his HKVA comrades and valued the bond they had for one another. No one else could truly understand or believe the horrors they had endured. Jack died on March 14, 1981. Despite the scars on his body, mind, and soul, his life was one of honour and love for his family and his country.
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