Derek Hodgkinson
| William Derek Hodgkinson | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Big S" |
| Born |
27 December 1917 Prestbury, Cheshire |
| Died | 29 January 2010 (aged 92) Hampshire |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1936–1976 |
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Unit | No. 220 Squadron |
| Commands held |
Air Secretary (1973–76) Near East Air Force (1970–73) RAF Staff College, Andover (1965–66) RAF St Mawgan (1958–61) No. 240 Squadron (1957–58) No. 210 Squadron (1947–49) |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards |
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Flying Cross Air Force Cross Mentioned in Despatches |
Air Chief Marshal Sir William Derek Hodgkinson, KCB, CBE, DFC, AFC (27 December 1917 – 29 January 2010), commonly known as Sir Derek Hodgkinson, was a senior Royal Air Force officer. As a bomber pilot in the Second World War, he was shot down and spent time in Stalag Luft III as "Big S", responsible for the security of the escape committee.
Born near Prestbury, Cheshire, and educated in Repton, Hodginson took a short service commission with the RAF in 1936, first flying the Avro Anson multi-role aircraft for RAF Coastal Command and then the American-built Hudson medium-level bomber with No. 220 Squadron RAF.
When war was declared, Hodgkinson was responsible for patrolling the English Channel from Heligoland Bight to Stavanger, which included patrols during the Dunkirk evacuation. Hodgkinson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for shooting down a Heinkel HE115 float plane. He then became an instructor with the Operational Training Unit (OTU), where in 1942, as a squadron leader, Hodkinson was selected to form part of "Bomber" Harris's 1,000 bomber raids over Germany.
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