George F. Hopkinson
Encyclopedia
Major-General George Frederick Hopkinson OBE MC
(1896 – 9 September 1943) was a British Army
officer who commanded the 1st Airborne Division during the Second World War. After working for a period prior to the beginning of the First World War as an engineering apprentice
, Hopkinson was commissioned into the North Staffordshire Regiment
and then posted to France as a signal officer in the 72nd Infantry Brigade. He was awarded the Military Cross
for meritous actions during the retreat of the British Army during early 1918; after the end of the conflict he gained a degree in civil engineering and travelled Europe, before rejoining the Army in the mid-1920s and working his way up to the rank of Major.
Retiring from the Army a second time to take up a civil engineering job in Turkey, Hopkinson rejoined the Army at the beginning of the Second World War in 1939. After seeing action during the Battle of France
, for which he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, he was promoted to Major General
and given command of 1st Airborne Division. Instituting a strict regime of training, Hopkinson ensured the division was ready to participate in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily
. When Sicily had been successfully conquered, the Allies landed in Italy
; Hopkinson accompanied 1st Airborne Division as it landed at the port of Taranto
, taking the surrender of the Italian forces in the area. The division then began advancing northwards against stiff Axis resistance, and Hopkinson was killed by machine gun fire as he witnessed an assault on a roadblock held by German Fallschirmjaeger.
in early 1915, joining the Officers Training Corps
and then being commissioned into the 4th battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment
as a second lieutenant
(on probation) on 27 March 1915. After a short period on Guernsey with them, Hopkinson was posted to France as a signal officer in the 72nd Infantry Brigade. On 16 September 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross
for his actions during the retreat of the British Army in 1918; the citation read:
Hopkinson left the army shortly after the end of the conflict, and in 1919 enrolled in Caius College, Cambridge, where he studied for a civil engineering degree. When he had finished his studies, he spent much of the early 1920s travelling throughout Europe, visiting Poland, the Baltic States and Russia.
However after this period of travelling, in 1923 he returned to the Army and the North Staffordshire regiment, and by the following year had reached the rank of captain
. He began studying for entry into the Staff College, Camberley
, and attained a place in the institution in January 1930. When he passed out of the Staff College he was seconded from his regiment and appointed as a General Staff Officer (GSO III) to the War Office
, and was promoted a short time later to GSO II at the School of Artillery at Larkhill; during the period, he also learnt to fly, gaining his pilot's license in 1933. In 1936 he returned to his regiment and commanded a rifle company as a brevet
major, but in 1937 he once again retired from the Army, taking a job in a civil engineering firm that had operations in Turkey
.
; injured during a motorcycle accident, he recovered in time to evacuate himself and many of his unit's vehicles from Dunkirk. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 20 August 1940 for his work during the Battle of France, in particular as liaison officer to Belgian forces. He then qualified as a parachutist and was then assigned to Britain's fledgling airborne forces; as he trained he helped to pioneer a number of airborne tactics, including the delivery and casting off of gliders
from the transport aircraft towing them. By April 1943 Hopkinson had been promoted to the rank of Major General, and assumed command of 1st Airborne Division; informed that Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily
would take place in several months, Hopkinson was determined that the division would participate, and thus implemented a tough training regime to ensure that the division was sufficiently prepared.
destroyer. After both brigades had accomplished their missions they were withdrawn to North Africa to recover, and Allied ground forces began to fight through Sicily; fighting ended on 17 August, and in early September the Allies launched their invasion of Italy itself. On 8 September 2nd Parachute Brigade and 4th Parachute Brigade landed in Italy, followed several days later by the remainder of the division landing at the port of Taranto
. Hopkinson landed with the rest of the division and accepted the surrender of the Italian garrison there, then ordered the division to advance northwards. Fighting was fierce against a strong German rearguard, which set up a number of ambushes and roadblocks to deter the division; one such roadblock was set up near the town of Castellaneta
and defended by a unit of Fallschirmjaeger. On 9 September, 10th Parachute Battalion assaulted the roadblock, with Hopkinson in close attendance; during the fighting, Hopkinson was hit by a burst of machine gun fire and killed. He was replaced by Brigadier
Ernest Down
, commander of 2nd Parachute Brigade. Hopkinson was the only British airborne general to be killed during the conflict. He is buried in Bari War Cemetery.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(1896 – 9 September 1943) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who commanded the 1st Airborne Division during the Second World War. After working for a period prior to the beginning of the First World War as an engineering apprentice
Engineering apprentice
An engineering apprenticeship is an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering. A typical example is the apprenticeships formerly available at the BTH and EEC at Rugby in England...
, Hopkinson was commissioned into the North Staffordshire Regiment
North Staffordshire Regiment
The North Staffordshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, which was in existence between 1881 and 1959. It can date its lineage back to 1756 with the formation of a second battalion by the 11th Regiment of Foot, which shortly after became the 64th Regiment of Foot...
and then posted to France as a signal officer in the 72nd Infantry Brigade. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for meritous actions during the retreat of the British Army during early 1918; after the end of the conflict he gained a degree in civil engineering and travelled Europe, before rejoining the Army in the mid-1920s and working his way up to the rank of Major.
Retiring from the Army a second time to take up a civil engineering job in Turkey, Hopkinson rejoined the Army at the beginning of the Second World War in 1939. After seeing action during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, for which he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, he was promoted to Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and given command of 1st Airborne Division. Instituting a strict regime of training, Hopkinson ensured the division was ready to participate in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. When Sicily had been successfully conquered, the Allies landed in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
; Hopkinson accompanied 1st Airborne Division as it landed at the port of Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
, taking the surrender of the Italian forces in the area. The division then began advancing northwards against stiff Axis resistance, and Hopkinson was killed by machine gun fire as he witnessed an assault on a roadblock held by German Fallschirmjaeger.
Early life and First World War
Prior to the start of the First World War, Hopkinson worked as an apprentice at an engineering works at Retford, Nottinghamshire. Too young to join up when the conflict began, he enlisted in the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in early 1915, joining the Officers Training Corps
Officers Training Corps
The Officer Training Corps is a part of the British Army which provides military leadership training to students at UK universities...
and then being commissioned into the 4th battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment
North Staffordshire Regiment
The North Staffordshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, which was in existence between 1881 and 1959. It can date its lineage back to 1756 with the formation of a second battalion by the 11th Regiment of Foot, which shortly after became the 64th Regiment of Foot...
as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
(on probation) on 27 March 1915. After a short period on Guernsey with them, Hopkinson was posted to France as a signal officer in the 72nd Infantry Brigade. On 16 September 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his actions during the retreat of the British Army in 1918; the citation read:
Hopkinson left the army shortly after the end of the conflict, and in 1919 enrolled in Caius College, Cambridge, where he studied for a civil engineering degree. When he had finished his studies, he spent much of the early 1920s travelling throughout Europe, visiting Poland, the Baltic States and Russia.
However after this period of travelling, in 1923 he returned to the Army and the North Staffordshire regiment, and by the following year had reached the rank of captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
. He began studying for entry into the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
, and attained a place in the institution in January 1930. When he passed out of the Staff College he was seconded from his regiment and appointed as a General Staff Officer (GSO III) to the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
, and was promoted a short time later to GSO II at the School of Artillery at Larkhill; during the period, he also learnt to fly, gaining his pilot's license in 1933. In 1936 he returned to his regiment and commanded a rifle company as a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
major, but in 1937 he once again retired from the Army, taking a job in a civil engineering firm that had operations in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Second World War
When the Second World War began in September 1939, Hopkinson immediately rejoined the Army and was posted to the Staff of the Military Representative that served on the Supreme War Council. In November 1939 he took command of a General Headquarters Reconnaissance Unit which served throughout the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
; injured during a motorcycle accident, he recovered in time to evacuate himself and many of his unit's vehicles from Dunkirk. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 20 August 1940 for his work during the Battle of France, in particular as liaison officer to Belgian forces. He then qualified as a parachutist and was then assigned to Britain's fledgling airborne forces; as he trained he helped to pioneer a number of airborne tactics, including the delivery and casting off of gliders
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
from the transport aircraft towing them. By April 1943 Hopkinson had been promoted to the rank of Major General, and assumed command of 1st Airborne Division; informed that Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
would take place in several months, Hopkinson was determined that the division would participate, and thus implemented a tough training regime to ensure that the division was sufficiently prepared.
Death
Operation Husky began on the night of 9 July with an airborne assault by 1st Airlanding Brigade and 1st Parachute Brigade of 1st Airborne Division, and elements of the American 82nd Airborne Division with both divisions suffering heavy losses in men and equipment as they carried out their objectives. Due to a number of factors, including poor navigation and the inexperience of the pilots of the transport aircraft, many of the gliders transporting 1st Airlanding Brigade failed to reach their assigned landing zones. One such glider carried Hopkinson and members of his staff; the tow-rope of the glider was detached prematurely and it was forced to ditch in the ocean. Although uninjured, Hopkinson was forced to wait by the partially-submerged glider until daylight, when he was picked up a Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
destroyer. After both brigades had accomplished their missions they were withdrawn to North Africa to recover, and Allied ground forces began to fight through Sicily; fighting ended on 17 August, and in early September the Allies launched their invasion of Italy itself. On 8 September 2nd Parachute Brigade and 4th Parachute Brigade landed in Italy, followed several days later by the remainder of the division landing at the port of Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
. Hopkinson landed with the rest of the division and accepted the surrender of the Italian garrison there, then ordered the division to advance northwards. Fighting was fierce against a strong German rearguard, which set up a number of ambushes and roadblocks to deter the division; one such roadblock was set up near the town of Castellaneta
Castellaneta
Castellaneta is a city and comune in the province of Taranto, in the Puglia region of Southern Italy, about 40 km from Taranto. Located in a territory spanning from the Murgia to the Ionian Sea, characterized by numerous gravina ravines, it is part of the Comunità Montana della Murgia...
and defended by a unit of Fallschirmjaeger. On 9 September, 10th Parachute Battalion assaulted the roadblock, with Hopkinson in close attendance; during the fighting, Hopkinson was hit by a burst of machine gun fire and killed. He was replaced by Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Ernest Down
Ernest Down
Lieutenant-General Sir Ernest Edward Down KBE CB was a British General during World War II.-Military career:Ernest Down was commissioned into the Dorset Regiment in February 1923. He served in World War II being appointed Commander of the 2nd Parachute Brigade in North Africa in 1942...
, commander of 2nd Parachute Brigade. Hopkinson was the only British airborne general to be killed during the conflict. He is buried in Bari War Cemetery.