Because on the Cenotaph the names are only surnames and initials, it is very hard sometimes to get a “hold” on the details of the soldier. There is a very slight possibility that the name was miss spelt, a clerical error, somewhere between the list and the artisan who added the names on the plaque and the name of T.J. HOOSON was entered as T.J. HODSON and added twice.   Just a theory, as I cannot find any clue but I do know that a man has been entered twice on this memorial as he was known by 2 names.

There is no Flintshire Index Card neither “fallen nor “Living” that I can find.   Neither can I find an entry in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

There is a death of a Thomas Hodson registered at Hawarden in 1919, that would have meant that he would have been included on the Cenotaph, if it is him, but this soldier is a mystery.

The only clue to this soldier, T.J. Hodson, is that there was an Alfred Hodson in the War and there was a Flintshire WW1 Index Card ( see below) for him, his address was the Nine Houses in Shotton, and he survived, so I wondered if he had a brother who may have followed him into the War.   Any help to identifying the man, T.J. Hodson, and the family would be greatly appreciated.

Flintshire WW1 Index Card (Shotton L118) – Hodson, Alfred, Nine Houses, Shotton, 44157 9th R.W.F. Pte. Period of Service 2yrs 9 months. Card signed by Alfred Hodson 19th January 1920

These are my only other clues:-

St. Deniol’s Church, Hawarden. – Page 119 No 288 8th May 1909 John Hodson, 21, Bachelor, Ironworker, Brook Street, Shotton, Father Joseph Hodson, Ironworker & Maria HEATH, 19, Spinster, Brook Street, Shotton, Father Thomas Andrew Heath, Ironworker. After Banns.Witnesses:- Harry Powell & Sarah Heath

Could this be John’s brother?   They shared the same named father Joseph, and lived in the same area.

St. Ethelwold’s Church, Shotton. – Page 11 No 21 23rd December 1905 William Hodson, 27, Bachelor, Ironworker, Shotton, Father Joseph Hodson (deceased) Bedshead Maker & Elisa (sic) A. Corbett, 23, Spinster, Shotton, Father Thomas Corbett, Ironworker. After Banns.Witnesses:- John Locky & Elizabeth Hodson.   (Elisa signed Eliza.)

I have now traced back this family and can say William’s brother John survived the war, (I don’t know if he was in Service anyway) as he had children, the last one, Joseph Glyn HODSON was born in 1924, according to the Family Tree on Ancestry.co.uk of daz2211.   So we are back to square one!

I cannot find any Army Records, please help if you can so he doesn’t stay anonymous.