531:, 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 the 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 sea. Although uninjured, Hopkinson was forced to wait by the partially submerged glider until daylight, when he was picked up a
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of the highest praise. On one occasion, having been unable to find the battalion to whom he was to convey orders for retirement, he returned a second time, but encountered an enemy patrol, who opened a heavy fire. Eluding the patrol, he came across one of our wounded, whom he helped to get on to his motor-cycle and managed to convey back to safety, though all the time being subjected to heavy fire.
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For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During a fortnight's operations of a most arduous description, his services in maintaining communication between brigade headquarters and the front line were most valuable, and his example of fine personal courage and coolness under heavy fire, worthy
535:
destroyer. After both brigades had accomplished their missions, despite sustaining heavy casualties and landing miles from their objectives, they were withdrawn to North Africa to recover, and Allied ground forces began to fight through Sicily; fighting there ended on 17 August, and in early
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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 he took command of a General Headquarters (GHQ) Reconnaissance Unit which served throughout the
33:
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but now had to be completely retrained for a very new and different form of warfare. As a result, most of 1942 was devoted to training to land in battle by glider. This was much to
Hopkinson's liking, who "lived and breathed gliderborne warfare."
365:, then considered as almost essential for future advancement in the army, and eventually 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
499:, would take place in three months, Hopkinson was determined that the 1st Airborne would participate, and thus implemented a tough training regime to ensure that the division was sufficiently trained and prepared.
445:(OBE) 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 the British Army's
392:, but, possibly unhappy at the slow rate of promotion during times of peace, in February 1937 he once again retired from the army, taking a job in a civil engineering firm that had operations in
571:, commander of the 2nd Parachute Brigade. George "Hoppy" Hopkinson was the only British airborne general to be killed during the Second World War, and is buried in Bari War Cemetery, Italy.
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555:. 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
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350:, where he studied for a civil engineering degree. When he had finished his studies, he spent some time travelling throughout Europe, visiting Poland, the Baltic States and Russia.
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However, after this period of travelling, in 1923 he returned to the army as a lieutenant and the North
Staffordshire Regiment, and by the following year had reached the rank of
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289:, Hopkinson worked as an apprentice at an engineering works at Retford, Nottinghamshire, his birthplace. Too young to join up when the conflict began, he enlisted in the
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On 6 April 1943 Hopkinson was promoted to the acting rank of major general, and succeeded
Browning in command of the 1st Airborne Division, which began to depart for
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in Italy in
September 1943. In addition to being one of the few British Army generals killed in action during the war, he was also the only British general of the
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elements of the German 1st
Parachute Division, which set up ambushes and roadblocks to deter the division; one such roadblock was set up near the town of
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assaulted the roadblock, with
Hopkinson in close attendance. During the fighting, Hopkinson was killed by machine gun fire. He was replaced by Brigadier
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Operation Husky began on the night of 9 July with an airborne assault by
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313:(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
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Hopkinson left the army shortly after the end of the conflict, and in 1919 enrolled in
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Churchill's Lions: a biographical guide to the key
British generals of World War II
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for his actions during the retreat of the British Army in 1918; the citation read:
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landed in Italy, followed several days later by the remainder of the division
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839:"Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Image details—Hopkinson, G F"
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Major-General Hopkinson talking from a raised platform to men of the
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Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War
842:(fee usually required to view pdf of full original recommendation)
523:, a First World War veteran, slightly older than "Hoppy") and the
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412:(centre) with Major General George Hopkinson (left) and Brigadier
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605:
GHQ Liaison Regiment: A Nominal Roll with Short Biographies
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units back from India, had originally been trained in
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The Second World War 1939-1945 Army - Airborne Forces
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254:(14 December 1895 – 9 September 1943) was a senior
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527:of the 1st Airborne Division, and elements of the
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1295:Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
682:(Supplement). 13 September 1918. p. 10967.
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1058:"Casualty details—Hopkinson, George Frederick"
334:The war came to an end soon after, due to the
1310:British Army personnel killed in World War II
8:
1325:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
879:(Supplement). 16 August 1940. p. 5075.
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926:(Supplement). 13 April 1943. p. 1735.
443:Officer of the Order of the British Empire
321:. On 16 September 1918 he was awarded the
224:Officer of the Order of the British Empire
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1315:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley
1107:Wings of War – Airborne Warfare 1918-1945
475:Hopkinson's brigade, mainly composed of
1345:Military personnel from Nottinghamshire
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361:. He began studying for entry into the
165:31st Independent Infantry Brigade Group
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1300:British Army generals of World War II
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513:21st Independent Parachute Company
277:to be killed during the conflict.
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455:31st Independent Infantry Brigade
1335:Recipients of the Military Cross
1184:Otway, Lieutenant-Colonel T.B.H.
1190:. London: Imperial War Museum.
786:. 9 February 1937. p. 892.
754:. 2 October 1925. p. 6346.
734:. 1 February 1924. p. 956.
379:School of Artillery at Larkhill
367:General Staff Officer Grade III
1168:. Barnesley: Pen & Sword.
1146:GHQ Liaison Regiment (Phantom)
714:. 13 April 1923. p. 2727.
650:. 26 March 1915. p. 2996.
608:. Lulu.com. 10 February 2010.
553:landing at the port of Taranto
281:Early life and First World War
1:
1109:. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
336:Armistice of 11 November 1918
1086:Dover, Major Victor (1981).
307:North Staffordshire Regiment
145:North Staffordshire Regiment
1360:British Army major generals
1128:. Stroud (UK): Spellmount.
529:U.S. 82nd Airborne Division
293:in early 1915, joining the
16:British general (1895–1943)
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1340:Deaths by firearm in Italy
1143:Pirt, Asher C. J. (2011).
1105:Harclerode, Peter (2005).
515:, North Africa, July 1943.
285:Prior to the start of the
239:George Frederick Hopkinson
1350:Allied invasion of Sicily
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1257:GOC 1st Airborne Division
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497:Allied invasion of Sicily
190:Allied invasion of Sicily
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1234:Generals of World War II
565:10th Parachute Battalion
363:Staff College, Camberley
348:Caius College, Cambridge
305:into the 4th Battalion,
195:Allied invasion of Italy
295:Officers Training Corps
1124:Mead, Richard (2007).
563:. On 9 September, the
549:4th Parachute Brigades
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459:1st Airlanding Brigade
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319:36th (Ulster) Division
160:1st Airlanding Brigade
1261:April–September 1943
1210:Slaughter over Sicily
850:The National Archives
525:1st Parachute Brigade
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463:1st Airborne Division
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263:1st Airborne Division
155:1st Airborne Division
109:Years of service
1164:Smart, Nick (2005).
465:, then commanded by
1330:People from Retford
543:On 8 September the
441:. He was appointed
200:Operation Slapstick
1250:Frederick Browning
923:The London Gazette
876:The London Gazette
783:The London Gazette
751:The London Gazette
731:The London Gazette
711:The London Gazette
679:The London Gazette
647:The London Gazette
517:
426:
416:during a visit to
261:who commanded the
1355:Burials in Apulia
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1264:Succeeded by
1242:Military offices
1156:978-1-4452-9099-7
1135:978-1-86227-431-0
1011:, pp. 80–82.
828:, pp. 70–71.
799:, pp. 69–70.
663:, pp. 67–68.
615:978-1-4452-9099-7
538:invasion of Italy
369:(GSO III) to the
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1065:. Retrieved
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985:Whiting 1992
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961:Whiting 1992
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949:Whiting 1992
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299:commissioned
291:British Army
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256:British Army
238:
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172:Battles/wars
103:British Army
82:Castellaneta
77:(1943-09-09)
18:
1290:1943 deaths
1285:1895 births
1267:Ernest Down
1090:. Cassell.
1067:26 November
918:"No. 35980"
871:"No. 34926"
778:"No. 34369"
746:"No. 33089"
726:"No. 32903"
706:"No. 32814"
674:"No. 30901"
642:"No. 29113"
569:Ernest Down
414:Ernest Down
265:during the
40:Nickname(s)
1279:Categories
1175:1844150496
1045:Otway 1990
1021:Dover 1981
1009:Dover 1981
997:Dover 1981
973:Dover 1981
893:Dover 1981
826:Dover 1981
797:Dover 1981
765:Dover 1981
693:Dover 1981
661:Dover 1981
629:Dover 1981
591:Dover 1981
575:References
533:Royal Navy
371:War Office
89:Allegiance
54:1895-12-14
937:Mead 2007
814:Mead 2007
521:Pip Hicks
428:When the
422:Wiltshire
410:George VI
162:(1941–43)
116:1939–1943
114:1923–1937
112:1915–1919
67:, England
1208:(1992).
1186:(1990).
855:17 March
540:itself.
359:adjutant
151:Commands
97:Service/
489:Algeria
451:gliders
439:Dunkirk
418:Bulford
355:captain
259:officer
206:†
84:, Italy
61:Retford
43:"Hoppy"
1216:
1194:
1172:
1153:
1132:
1113:
1094:
612:
495:, the
394:Turkey
387:brevet
375:London
220:Awards
202:
167:(1941)
157:(1943)
99:branch
408:King
390:major
385:as a
309:as a
301:as a
249:
247:,
136:19368
1214:ISBN
1192:ISBN
1170:ISBN
1151:ISBN
1130:ISBN
1111:ISBN
1092:ISBN
1069:2009
857:2009
610:ISBN
547:and
141:Unit
121:Rank
72:Died
48:Born
545:2nd
373:in
244:OBE
1281::
1060:.
920:.
885:^
873:.
848:.
844:.
804:^
780:.
748:.
728:.
708:.
676:.
644:.
583:^
472:.
420:,
396:.
338:.
317:,
251:MC
241:,
63:,
1222:.
1200:.
1178:.
1159:.
1138:.
1119:.
1100:.
1071:.
859:.
618:.
56:)
52:(
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