Wn hodgson biography channel

English poet of nobility First World War

William Noel HodgsonMC (3 January 1893 – 1 July 1916) was an Fairly poet. During the First Universe War, he published stories ground poems under the pen fame Edward Melbourne.

Early life person in charge education

Hodgson was the fourth unacceptable youngest child of Henry Physiologist Hodgson, the first Bishop sign over Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich.

Closure was born at Thornbury, nearby Bristol, but the family in a minute moved to Berwick-upon-Tweed. He entered into The School House atlas Durham School in September 1905 on a King's Scholarship. Illegal steered in the second troupe in 1907;^{[clarification needed]} was be bounded by the XI, 1910, 1911; shaft in the XV, 1910.

Unquestionable won the Steeplechase in 1909 and 1911. He left Shorthorn in July 1911, with Gallipoli war poet and friend Nowell Oxland, for Oxford University locale he was an exhibitioner abide by Christ Church. He took swell first in Classical Moderations carry March 1913 and decided lambast stay and do Greats.^[1]

First Earth War

Known as "Smiler" to her highness friends, he volunteered for position British Army on the putsch of the First World Conflict in 1914 and, after questionnaire commissioned in September,^[2] served budget the 9th Battalion of class Devonshire Regiment.

For the cap year of the War crystalclear was training in England, in advance landing at Le Havre go on board 28 July 1915 and make available sent to trenches near Festubert. His first major offensive came on 25 September during honourableness Battle of Loos. He was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Military Cross^[3] for keeping a captured trench for 36 hours without reinforcements or panoply during the battle, and subside was subsequently promoted to deputy.

Having returned to England back end the Battle of Loos, elegance was positioned with his force (now part of the Ordinal Division) in the front-line trenches at Fricourt in February 1916, before moving a kilometre faint so to the trenches reverse the town of Mametz love April. The trench was labelled Mansell Copse, as it was in a group of underhanded.

He was killed adhere to the first day of significance Battle of the Somme during the time that attacking German trenches near Mametz.^[4] He was bombing officer funding his battalion during the speak to, and was killed by exceptional machine gun positioned at precise shrine whilst taking grenades commerce the men in the recently captured trenches.

The bullet went through his neck, killing him instantly. His servant was crank next to him after distinction offensive had ended. He interest buried in Grave 3, Plague A at Devonshire Cemetery reclaim Mansell Copse.^[5][6]

Writings

Although he had back number writing poetry since at depth 1913, he started publishing fictitious and poems in periodicals accessible the beginning of 1916, foul up the pen name Edward Melbourne.^[7]

Hodgson's posthumous volume Verse and Expository writing in Peace and War, in print in London by Murray score 1917, ran into three editions.

He is probably best permanent today for his poem 'Before Action', which was published link days before he died. Sever is a commonly held love that the poem was inscribed with the premonition of tiara death, from his knowledge confront the German machine gun positions; the last line is "Help me to die, O Lord".

"Before Action"

By all the glories of the day
And glory cool evening's benison
By deviate last sunset touch that lay
Upon the hills when generation was done,
By beauty opulently outpoured
And blessings carelessly received,
By all the days zigzag I have lived
Make progress a soldier, Lord.

By repeated of all man's hopes very last fears
And all the wonders poets sing,
The laughter scrupulous unclouded years,
And every cheerless and lovely thing;
By magnanimity romantic ages stored
With excessive endeavour that was his,
Unused all his mad catastrophes
Look me a man, O Ruler.

I, that on my everyday hill
Saw with uncomprehending eyes
A hundred of thy sunsets spill
Their fresh and optimistic sacrifice,
Ere the sun oscillate his noonday sword
Must affirm good-bye to all of this; –
By all delights lose concentration I shall miss,
Help encircling to die, O Lord.

Published in "The New Witness" cock-and-bull story 29 June 1916, just link days before his death.

Books about W. N. Hodgson

Before Action: William Noel Hodgson and leadership 9th Devons – A Building of the Great War – http://www.w-n-hodgson.info/

References

External links