# Francis Hodder > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Francis_Hodder > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Francis_Hodder.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Hodder > Source revision: 1176692605 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Francis Samuel Hodder** (11 February 1906 – 6 September 1943) was an Irish first-class cricketer, rugby union player and [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) officer. Hodder served in the Royal Air Force from 1925 until his death in 1943 during the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War). During his athletic career, he played for the [Royal Air Force cricket team](/source/Royal_Air_Force_cricket_team) and [rugby union](/source/Rugby_union) for [London Irish](/source/London_Irish). ## Early life and military career The son of Samuel and Maud Hodder, he was born at Ringabella House in [Carrigaline](/source/Carrigaline), [Ireland](/source/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland).[1] He was educated in England at [Forest Hill House School](/source/Hill_House_School,_Doncaster), where he played for the school cricket team.[1] On one occasion while playing for the school he scored a [century](/source/Century_(cricket)) and took all ten wickets.[1] After leaving Forest Hill, he took up employment with [Midland Bank](/source/Midland_Bank).[1] However, he became dissatisfied with his job, instead enlisting with the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) as a [pilot officer](/source/Pilot_officer) in 1925.[2][1] He was promoted to the rank of [flying officer](/source/Flying_officer) in January 1927.[3] Three years later he was promoted to the rank of [flight lieutenant](/source/Flight_lieutenant) in November 1930.[4] Hodder played [first-class cricket](/source/First-class_cricket) for the [Royal Air Force cricket team](/source/Royal_Air_Force_cricket_team) against the [Army](/source/British_Army_cricket_team) at [The Oval](/source/The_Oval) in 1931.[5] Batting twice in the match, Hodder was ended the Royal Air Force first-innings [unbeaten](/source/Not_out) having scored a single run, while in their second-innings he remained unbeaten on 10.[6] With his right-arm bowling, he bowled a total of 28 [overs](/source/Over_(cricket)) across the match, conceding 69 runs and taking the wicket of [Bill Leggatt](/source/Bill_Leggatt).[6] He also played [rugby union](/source/Rugby_union), playing for [London Irish](/source/London_Irish) for ten seasons, as well as representing [Kent](/source/Kent_Rugby_Football_Union) in the [County Championship](/source/County_Championship_(rugby_union)).[1] He also trialled for [Ireland](/source/Ireland_national_rugby_union_team), but was not successful in being selected to play.[1] During the 1930s he served in [Iraq](/source/Kingdom_of_Iraq) and [Aden](/source/Aden_Province), as well as passing a specialist engineering course.[1] He was promoted to the rank of [squadron leader](/source/Squadron_leader) in February 1937.[7] He married Evelyn Margaret Bowden-Smith in early 1940, with the couple having two sons.[1] ## WWII service and death Hodder served during the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) and was stationed in France at its outbreak, later working alongside the [Advanced Air Striking Force](/source/RAF_Advanced_Air_Striking_Force) to cover the retreating [British Expeditionary Force](/source/British_Expeditionary_Force_(World_War_II)) during the [Battle of France](/source/Battle_of_France), for which he was [mentioned in dispatches](/source/Mentioned_in_dispatches).[1][8] After the allied defeat in France, Hodder returned home and was placed on engineering duties, firstly at [Rootes Aircraft Factory](/source/Liverpool_John_Lennon_Airport) and later at [Handley Page](/source/Handley_Page).[1] He was promoted to the temporary rank of [group captain](/source/Group_captain) in March 1942,[9] and obtained the full rank the following month.[10] In July 1943, he was placed in command of [RAF Syerston](/source/RAF_Syerston).[1] Having had little flying experience, Hodder wanted to experience what his men experienced during bombing raids. He joined the crew of a [Lancaster bomber](/source/Avro_Lancaster) during a bombing mission to [Mannheim](/source/Mannheim) on the night of 5/6 September.[1] Near [Mannheim](/source/Mannheim) the bomber encountered a [Luftwaffe](/source/Luftwaffe) night fighter and was shot down, killing all aboard with the exception of one survivor.[1] Hodder is buried at the [Rheinberg War Cemetery](/source/Rheinberg_War_Cemetery).[1] ## References 1. McCrery, Nigel (2011). [*The Coming Storm: Test and First-Class Cricketers Killed in World War Two*](https://books.google.com/books?id=RYQwDwAAQBAJ). Vol. 2nd volume. Pen and Sword. p. 372-73. ISBN 978-1526706980. 1. No. 33134. 19 February 1926. p. 1245. 1. No. 33246. 8 February 1927. p. 868. 1. No. 33658. 4 November 1930. p. 6959. 1. ["First-Class Matches played by Francis Hodder"](http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/30/30291/First-Class_Matches.html). CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 March 2019. 1. ["Army v Royal Navy, 1931"](http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/13/13945.html). CricketArchive. Retrieved 20 March 2019. 1. No. 34366. 2 February 1937. p. 717. 1. No. 34893. 9 July 1940. p. 4268. 1. No. 35503. 27 March 1942. p. 1386. 1. No. 35525. 14 April 1942. p. 1649. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Francis Hodder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Hodder) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Hodder?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.