2nd Lieutenant Athol HUDSON (1894-1916).
Service # 1/812 & 24/1547: 2nd Lieutenant, New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion, New Zealand Expeditionary Forces (NZEF).
Born 5 March 1894 at Nelson, South Island, New Zealand.
Son of Dr James & Mrs B. Hudson of Tapawera, Nelson District, South Island, New Zealand.
Prior to enlistment for war service Athol Hudson was a University Student - (Rhodes Scholar BSc New Zealand) - at Victoria College (now Victoria University), Wellington, North Island, New Zealand.
2nd Lieutenant Athol Hudson served (1) 1914-1915 - Capture of Samoa, Pacific Islands and (2) France & Belgium (1916). 2nd Lieutanant Athol Hudson enlisted, and embarked, twice - for overseas war service - from New Zealand.
Athol Hudson enlisted (1) for war service - on 19 August 1914 - at Wellington, North Island, New Zealand. He was 20 years of age.
At first enlistment his Service # was 1/812.
On 12 August 1914 2nd Lieutenant Athol Hudson left New Zealand - with the 5th Wellington Infantry Regiment - aboard HMT "Monowai". He arrived at Apia, Samoa on 29 August 1914.
2nd Lieutenant Athol Hudson returned to New Zealand, from Samoa, on 14 April 1915. He was discharged from service the following day - on 15 April 1915.
2nd Lieutenant Athol Hudson re-enlisted, for war service, on 10 July 1915. At re-enlistment his Service # was 24/1547 and he was posted to the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion, 3rd Reinforcements, NZEF.
2nd Lieutenant Athol Hudson left New Zealand for overseas war service - with the 3rd Reinforcements NZEF - and on 8 February 1916 he disembarked, from his transport ship, at Suez, Egypt.
On 6 April 1916 2nd Lieut. Hudson left Alexandria, Egypt - for active war service - in France.
On 13 May 1916 2nd Lieut. Hudson was attached to the 13th New Zealand Division - in the field, France.
On 17 June 1916 2nd Lieut. Hudson was attached to the Sniping School. He re-joined his unit - on 23 June 1916 - in the field, France.
On 14 July 1917 2nd Lieutenant Athol Hudson was reported missing in the field, at the Somme, France.
On 14 July 1917 2nd Lieutenant Athol Hudson was declared "Killed in Action - in the field, Somme, France".
2nd Lieutenant Athol Hudson is buried at Ration Farm Military Cemetery, La Chapelle-de Armentieres, Nord, France (Ref: V1.1.20).
2nd Lieutenant Athol Hudson is also remembered at his hometown in New Zealand - on the Tapawera District War Memorial (1914-1918) - at Tapawera. Nelson District, South Island, New Zealand.
For 2nd Lieutenant Athol Hudson's military record refer to New Zealand Online Cenotaph : www.aucklandmuseum.com
Photo Credit: Auckland War Memorial Museum/Auckland Library Heritage Collection.
Jenifer Everett