A Great War hospital ship incident M.C. awarded to Captain H. W. Hodgson, Royal Army Medical Corps

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved, ‘H. W. Hodgson, Capt., R.A.M.C., H.M.H.S. Abglia, Torpedoed 17th Nov. 1915’, in its case of issue, extremely fine £400-500

M.C. London Gazette 3 September 1918:

‘For distinguished and gallant services rendered on the occasion of the destruction or damage by enemy action on hospital ships, transports and store ships.’

At about 12.30 p.m. on 17 November 1917, the hospital ship Anglia struck a mine while crossing the Channel from France, carrying a large number of wounded - namely 13 officers and 372 other ranks, in addition to the accompanying medical staff, such as Hodgson. Although rescue vessels arrived on the scene quickly, four officers and 129 soldiers were lost when the ship went down by her bow.