William Hodgson (RAF officer)

No. 85 Squadron began training for night fighting duties in October, in response to the increasing number of bombing raids being mounted at night by the Luftwaffe. It became operational in November, based at Gravesend. The next two months were relatively unsuccessful, with only one bomber shot down at nighttime. However, Hodgson claimed a Bf 109 on 5 December as a probable, when flying on a daytime operation. In February 1941, the squadron returned to Debden and began re-equipping with the Douglas A-20 Havoc. By this time, Hodgson was off flying duties, having been determined to be medically unfit. His eyes had been affected by glycol, most likely from when his aircraft had been damaged the previous August. Later in the month he was invested with his DFC in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

On 25 May 1940, Hodgson was posted to No. 85 Squadron, at the time based at Debden as part of No. 12 Group. The squadron had incurred several casualties during its operations in the Battle of France and Hodgson was one of several replacements. They spent the next month in training, under the supervision of the commander, Squadron leader Peter Townsend. The squadron soon began carrying out patrols along the east coast and providing cover for convoys, operating from Martlesham Heath for the next two and a half months.

St. Peter's Church in Caversham, Dunedin, depicts Hodgson in one of its stained glass windows as a tribute to him. The window was unveiled in a ceremony in late October 1941. He is also remembered by Hodgson Way near the village of Shotgate, near where he had crashlanded his burning Hurricane on 31 August 1940.

Born in Frankton Junction, he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in May 1939. After completing flight training, he went to the United Kingdom, arriving in April 1940. Shortly afterwards, he transferred to the RAF and was posted to No. 85 Squadron. He flew extensively during the Battle of Britain, shooting down a number of German aircraft. He was taken off flying duties in February 1941 due to a medical issue with his eyes, which had been injured the previous year. He was killed the following month when the Douglas A-20 Havoc, flown by another Battle of Britain flying ace, Geoffrey Allard, on which he was a passenger crashed shortly after takeoff.

William Henry Hodgson DFC (30 September 1920 – 13 March 1941) was a New Zealand fighter pilot and flying ace who flew in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was officially credited with the destruction of five enemy aircraft.

Born on 30 September 1920 in Frankton Junction near Hamilton, William Henry Hodgson was one of two sons of Harry and Leonora Hodgson. His family moved south to Dunedin when Hodgson was young, and he was educated at Macandrew Road School and then went onto King Edward Technical College. After completing his schooling, he worked as a technician at a radio station. He was also an age-group representative for Otago in rugby union. Already a pilot in the civil reserve, in May 1939 he was accepted for a short service commission in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). He underwent flight training at the Otago Aero Club in Dunedin before going on to the RNZAF No. 1 Flight Training School at Wigram, where he flew Avro Tutors, Fairey Gordons and Vickers Vildebeests.