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{{Short description|British Army general}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=George Hopkinson
|image=
|caption=
|birth_date=14 December 1895
|death_date=9 September 1943 (aged 47)
|placeofburial_label=
|placeofburial=
|birth_place=[[Retford]], [[Nottinghamshire]], [[England]]
|death_place=[[Castellaneta]], [[Italy]]
|nickname="Hoppy"
|allegiance={{flag|United Kingdom}}
|branch={{army|United Kingdom}}
|serviceyears=1915–1919 1923−1937 1939−1943
|servicenumber=19368
|rank=[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]]
|unit=[[North Staffordshire Regiment]]
|commands=[[31st Brigade (United Kingdom)|31st Independent Infantry Brigade Group]] [[1st Airlanding Brigade (United Kingdom)|1st Airlanding Brigade]] [[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|1st Airborne Division]]
|battles=[[World War I]] [[World War II]]
* [[Italian campaign (World War II)|Italian campaign]]
** [[Allied invasion of Sicily]]
** [[Allied invasion of Italy]]
*** [[Operation Slapstick]] {{KIA}}
|awards=[[Order of the British Empire|Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Military Cross]]
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]] '''George Frederick Hopkinson''' [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] [[Military Cross|MC]] (14 December 1895 – 9 September 1943) was a senior [[British Army]] [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] who commanded the [[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|1st Airborne Division]] during [[World War II]], where he was [[killed in action]] 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 airborne general to be killed during the conflict.<ref>Dover, p. 83</ref>

==Early life and First World War==
Prior to the start of the [[World War I|First World War]], 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 [[British Army]] in early 1915, joining the [[Officers Training Corps]] and then being [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] as a [[second lieutenant]] into the 4th Battalion, [[North Staffordshire Regiment]] as a [[second lieutenant]] (on probation) on 27 March 1915.<ref>Dover, p. 67</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29113|page=2996|date=26 March 1915}}</ref> After a short period on Guernsey with them, Hopkinson was posted to France as a signal officer in the [[72nd Brigade (United Kingdom)|72nd Brigade]], [[36th (Ulster) Division]].<ref>Dover, pp. 67–68</ref> 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:

{{quote|Lt. George Frederick Hopkinson, N. Staff. R., Spec. Res.

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 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.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30901|supp=y|page=10967|date=13 September 1918}}</ref>}}

The war came to an end soon after, due to the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918]].

==Between the wars==
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 some time travelling throughout Europe, visiting Poland, the Baltic States and Russia.<ref>Dover, pp. 68</ref>

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 (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]]. He began studying for entry into the [[Staff College, Camberley]], and attained a place in the institution in January 1930.<ref>Dover, pp. 69</ref> When he passed out of the Staff College he was seconded from his regiment and appointed as a [[Staff (military)|General Staff Officer]] (GSO III) to the [[War Office]], and was promoted a short time later to GSO II at the [[Royal School of Artillery|School of Artillery at Larkhill]]; during the period, he also learnt to fly, gaining his pilot's license in 1933.<ref>Dover, p. 70</ref> In 1936 he returned to his regiment and commanded a [[Company (military unit)|rifle company]] as a [[brevet (military)|brevet]] [[Major (United Kingdom)|major]], but in 1937 he once again retired from the army, taking a job in a civil engineering firm that had operations in [[Turkey]].<ref>Dover, p. 70</ref>

==Second World War==
When the [[World War II|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.<ref>Dover, pp. 70–71</ref> In November 1939 he took command of a General Headquarters (GHQ) Reconnaissance Unit which served throughout the [[Battle of France]]; injured during a motorcycle accident, he recovered in time to evacuate himself and many of his unit's vehicles from [[Dunkirk evacuation|Dunkirk]]. He was appointed [[Order of the British Empire|Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) on 20 August 1940 for his work during the Battle of France, in particular as liaison officer to Belgian forces.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7680903|title=Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Image details—Hopkinson, G F|work=DocumentsOnline|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]|format=fee usually required to view pdf of full original recommendation|accessdate=17 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34926|supp=y|page=5075|date=16 August 1940}}</ref> He then qualified as a parachutist and was then assigned to the British Army's [[airborne forces]]; as he trained he helped to pioneer a number of airborne tactics, including the delivery and casting off of [[military glider|gliders]] from the transport aircraft towing them.<ref>Dover, p. 71</ref> In late October 1941 Hopkinson was promoted to acting brigadier and took command of the [[31st Brigade (United Kingdom)|31st Independent Infantry Brigade]], which was soon converted into the [[1st Airlanding Brigade (United Kingdom)|1st Airlanding Brigade]], which became part of the [[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|1st Airborne Division]], then commanded by [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]] [[Frederick Browning]].

On 6 April 1943 Hopkinson was promoted to the acting rank of major general,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35980|page=1735|date=13 April 1943|supp=y}}</ref> and succeeded Browning in command of the 1st Airborne Division. After being informed that [[Allied invasion of Sicily|Operation Husky]], the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]], would take place in several months, Hopkinson was determined that the 1st Airborne would participate, and thus implemented a tough training regime to ensure that the division was sufficiently prepared.<ref>Dover, p. 71</ref>

===Sicily and Italy===
Operation Husky began on the night of 9 July with an airborne assault by the 1st Airlanding Brigade (now commanded by Brigadier [[Philip Hugh Whitby Hicks|Philip Hicks]]) and the [[1st Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)|1st Parachute Brigade]] of the 1st Airborne Division, and elements of the [[82nd Airborne Division|U.S. 82nd Airborne Division]], with both divisions suffering heavy losses in men and equipment as they carried out their objectives.<ref>Dover, p. 76</ref> 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 [[Royal Navy]] destroyer.<ref>Dover, p. 75</ref> After both brigades had accomplished their missions, despite heavy casualties, 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 September the Allies launched their [[Allied invasion of Italy|invasion of Italy]] itself.<ref>Dover, pp. 80–82</ref>

On 8 September the [[2nd Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)|2nd]] and [[4th Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)|4th Parachute Brigade]]s landed in Italy, followed several days later by the remainder of the division [[Operation Slapstick|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 [[Fallschirmjäger]] 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 [[Castellaneta]].<ref>Dover, p. 82</ref> On 9 September, the [[10th Parachute Battalion (United Kingdom)|10th Parachute Battalion]] assaulted the roadblock, with Hopkinson in close attendance. During the fighting, Hopkinson was killed by machine gun fire.<ref>Harclerode, p. 262</ref> He was replaced by Brigadier [[Ernest Down]], commander of the 2nd Parachute Brigade.<ref>Otway, p. 133</ref> Hopkinson was the only British airborne general to be killed during the Second World War.<ref>Dover, p. 83</ref> He is buried in Bari War Cemetery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2203699|title=Casualty details—Hopkinson, George Frederick|publisher=[[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]]|accessdate=26 November 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book| last = Dover| first = Major Victor| title = The Sky Generals| publisher = Cassell | year = 1981 | isbn = 0-304-30480-8}}
*{{cite book| last=Harclerode| first=Peter| title=Wings of War – Airborne Warfare 1918-1945| publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson| year= 2005 | isbn=0-304-36730-3}}
*{{Cite book| first=Richard| last=Mead| title=Churchill's Lions: a biographical guide to the key British generals of World War II| year=2007| publisher=Spellmount| location=Stroud (UK)| isbn=978-1-86227-431-0}}
*{{cite book| first=Nick| last=Smart| title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War| isbn=1844150496| year=2005| location=Barnesley| publisher=Pen & Sword}}
*{{cite book| last=Otway| first=Lieutenant-Colonel T.B.H.| title=The Second World War 1939-1945 Army - Airborne Forces| publisher=Imperial War Museum| location = London| year= 1990| isbn=0-901627-57-7}}
*{{cite book|first=Charles|last=Whiting|title=Slaughter over Sicily|author-link=Charles Whiting|isbn=0-85052-307-9|year=1992|publisher=Leo Cooper}}

==External links==
*[http://www.generals.dk/general/Hopkinson/George_Frederick/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Frederick Browning]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|GOC 1st Airborne Division]]|years=April–September 1943}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ernest Down]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkinson, George}}
[[Category:1895 births]]
[[Category:1943 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:British Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British Army personnel killed in World War II]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley]]
[[Category:North Staffordshire Regiment officers]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People from Retford]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Italy]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Nottinghamshire]]
[[Category:Allied invasion of Sicily]]
[[Category:Burials in Apulia]]
[[Category:British Army major generals]]

George Hopkinson - Revision history

Bot at 15:30, 20 July 2022