219492 Pte. Thomas John Hodge British Army Middlesex Regiment from:70 Walton Road, Manor Park, London My Grandfather Thomas John Hodge joined the Middlesex Regiment on the 8th September 1914, aged 24.
He was posted to France. I am still researching where he was stationed. During my research I found evidence of him being awarded 10 days FP no: 2, at first I assumed this was some sort of leave because the date coincided with the birth of my father. I subsequently found that FP stands for field punishment. This is defined as being shackled in irons, what he had done to deserve this I do not know.
His medical records show that he was wounded in 1916 and spent three months in the army hospital at Etaples. Two years later, as the war was coming to an end he was admitted to hospital with suspected Bronchitis, this was later diagnosed as TB and he was invalided out of the army in May 1918. During his medical examination he stated that he was gassed in 1916 and his breathing problems began after that.
Six months after he came out of the army his 18 month-old baby daughter died, and on 16th October 1919 having served throughout the whole of the war he died from his illness, he was 29.
He left my Grandmother with two boys and an army pension of 11 shillings.
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