Melbourne Grammar School
Australia
For photographs of the Attestation Papers of John Burgoyne Hudson, and of the Melbourne Grmmar School select here.
In Robert Coulson's Biographies of Officers in The Yorkshire Regiment it was noted that one particular Oficer, - 2nd Lieutenant John Burgoyne Hudson, had originated in Australia and served with the Australian Imperial Force before joining the Yorkshire Regiment.
Intrigued by this, Richard Roberts contacted an Australian acquaintance Beth Page to see whether there was any further information on this Officer.
Beth Page runs a website dedicated to the commemoration of Australian Service Men and Women in the UK.
Beith Page very kindly provided additional information on this particular Officer and we are extremely grateful to her for this information.
John Burgoyne Hudson was a a former student of Melbourne Grammar School. He had been born in Auckland, New Zealand, as a naturalised British Subject before moving to live in Australia.
He had studied medicine in Australia, and on the outbreak of War in 1914 joined the Australian Imperial Force for service overseas. (Ref : Attestation Papers).
He was initially with the 14th Battalion AIF before transferring to the Australian Medical Corps.
Serving with the Australian Medical Corps, John Burgoyne Hudson was with the forces in Gallipoli.
In December 1915, he applied for a Commission with the Yorkshire Regiment and was Gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Yorkshire Regiment on 22 December 1915.
Serving with the Yorkshire Regiment he was killed fighting in October 1916.
2nd Lieutenant John Burgoyne Hudson
4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 25 October 1916.
Commemorated on Pier and Face 3A & 3D, THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.
The following notes are from Robert Coulson's Biographies of Officers in The Yorkshire Regiment Biographies of Officers in The Yorkshire Regiment;-
"John Hudson was in Australia at the onset of war and came to France as a private soldier with the Australian Imperial Force.
He gained his commission and joined with the 4th Battalion in France in early 1916.
They were later arrivals to the Somme offensive, training at Millencourt in August of 1916 before moving into the line in mid September.
2nd Lt Hudson was with the battalion on September 15th when they attacked between High Wood and Martinpuich and he was wounded in action in early October in fighting at Eaucourt L&lsquoAbbaye.
Despite his wounds he remained at duty and when the battalion went up to the line again as a relief in the late evening of October 24th 1916 2nd Lt John Burgoyne Hudson was killed in action moving into the front line trenches."
(National Archives of Australia)
Wikipedia