Robert James Hotson

Corporal Robert James Hotson enlisted at Newark on 11th August 1914, he gave his age as 21 yrs and his address as 31 West Hill Drive, Mansfield. he served with the 1/8th battalion Sherwood Foresters Regiment. He landed in France on 2nd March 1915 and promoted to corporal on 1st April 1915. He was wounded on 21st April 1915, his abdomen was bruised by a bullet and was killed in action on 31st July 1915. Having no known grave his name is commemorated on the Ypres Menin gate Memorial.

Items Returned: packet of photographs, letters and a notebook. His brother, William Hugh McIntosh Hotson, was killed on 09/09/1918. Another brother, Andrew, survived the war. Robert and William attended Brunts School. Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser; 06/05/1915: L/Cpl Hotson had been hit by a sniper's bullet but his purse had stopped it penetrating his body, some of the coins had been bent by the impact.: 12/08/1915 edition, Cpl Hotson was throwing a grenade at a German trenches when one of the German's grenades exploded near him and killed him instantly. A report published on 13th August 1915 in the Mansfield Reporter and Sutton Times :- THE LATE CORPORAL ROBERT JAMES HOTSON. “We announced last week the death of Corpl. R. J. Hotson, of 31, West Hill-drive, Mansfield, which occurred in Flanders. According to a letter received from his brother, Sergt. W. Hotson, it appears that on the 31st July he was throwing a hand grenade at the German trenches, when a grenade from the enemy exploded and killed him instantly. The deceased was only 21 years of age. He was an old Brunts scholar, and was a mechanical engineer employed at the Mansfield Engineering Works. He re-enlisted in the 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, on the 8th August last year, having previously served in the same regiment. He had had two narrow escapes while at the front. On one occasion he was taking rations to the trenches when he was struck by a bullet from a sniper. The missile struck his purse, which contained several coppers, and these were doubled up by the impact. They undoubtedly saved his life, for as it was his body was grazed by the force of the blow. His brother. Sergt. Hotson, is in the same battalion, but not the same Company. Another brother is Sapper A. Hotson, who is training in England.” Above is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918