Private Edward Hodder

Edward Hodder was born in Longborough, Leicestershire, England on October 16, 1884. He immigrated to Paris to work as a hosiery boarder in Penmans Mill #1. He attended St James Anglican Church. He and his wife Alice lived on Race Street, possibly at the address which is now 89 Race Street, with their son and two daughters. Edward was 32 years of age when he enlisted with the 125^th Battalion in Paris.

Edward was a member of the 9^th Platoon that embarked aboard the S.S Scandinavia on February 12, 1916. The 9^th and 10^th Platoons were the first contingent of soldiers from Paris, nearly 100 men, to go overseas. He was transferred to the 60th Infantry Battalion after arriving in England, and later to the 87^th Battalion. Edward was with the 87^th when he suffered concussion and machine gunshot wounds, one which fractured his left femur and another in his right thigh in February, 1917. This was during the preparatory work before their historic attack on Vimy Ridge. Edward was taken first to a military hospital in Etaples, then Bayeux, then Wimereux. He was then transferred to a hospital in Edinburgh, then to Basingstoke, then to the 5^th Canadian General hospital in Kirkdale, Liverpool on February 27, 1919. Edward was invalided to Canada on March 31, 1919. He received further treatment in July at the Brant Military Hospital in Burlington before finally making his way back to Paris.