Bruce Arthur Hodges enlisted with the 48th Highlanders in Toronto and was given the regimental service number B75017. In England with the 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders, the battalion was training, providing coastal defence and soldiers were going on courses. Pte Hodges qualified as Driver Mechanic Gp “C” on 28 May 1943. The battalion embarked on 16 June (sailing on the 28th) from Gourock, Scotland for the landings at Pachino, Sicily on 9 July 1943. Pte Hodges travelled separately in the “slow convoy” embarking 16 June and sailing later. His ship was torpedoed, most likely in the Mediterranean, on 4 July 1943 on route to Sicily. He was rescued and placed on the X-4 List (48th Highlanders). The X-4 list was those Highlanders available to be reinforcements for the battalion. He was taken on strength of the battalion on 9 October 1943 in the rear party. The battalion at that time was fighting to take the town of Campobasso on the Adriatic side of Italy.

Pte Hodges was with the battalion for the advance to Ortona, then “Cemetery Hill” when the battalion penetrated over 2 miles behind German lines to threaten the only roads that the Germans could use in or out of Ortona, the Liri Valley and Adolph Hitler Line, the Gothic Line, and the Rimini Line. On 8 November 1944 he was severely injured. At that time the battalion was in the rear, having chased the Germans in October through the muddy fields of Lombardy. Our records don’t show the nature of the injury.

He rejoined the battalion after recovery and on 12 March 1945 was with the battalion when they, and the entire 1st Canadian Division, sailed from Leghorn, Italy to Marseille, France to travel to Belgium to complete the liberation of Holland in April. After the war in Europe ended the battalion left NW Europe on 4 September, arriving in the UK on the 5th.  He returned to Canada with the battalion in late September, arriving in Toronto for a final parade on 1 October.

NOK: wife, Ida Hodges at 522 Gladstone Avenue, Toronto