Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

30/03/1916

Date of Discharge

07/08/1919

Place of Enlistment

Sydney NSW

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

30/04/1892

Place of Birth

'Fulham Park' via Wilcannia NSW

Address (at enlistment)

Coonabarabran NSW (previously Duntroon ACT)

School(s) Attended

Canberra Public School, Geelong Grammar School

Occupation

Bank accountant

Next of Kin

Mary Violet Hudson (wife), Gilgandra NSW

Service Number

370

Final Rank

Corporal

Final Unit

3 Machine Gun Battalion AIF

Hudson was the brother of Les and son of Ernest Hudson, who arrived with his family in 1903 to manage 'Duntroon' which he did so until it was acquired by the Commonwealth in 1912. Eric appears in a photo taken of students at Canberra Public school in 1908. He was a bank accountant with the Bank of NSW, beginning his career at Queanbeyan in July 1909 and transferring to Gilgandra, Dunedoo, Brewarrina and Coonabarabran. He enlisted in March 1916 and by February 1917 he had been appointed a Lance Sergeant with the 3rd Division Machine Gun Company. In September 1917 he joined the 23rd Machine Gun Company on the Western Front. By Christmas he had been court martialled for entering evacuated premises at Armentieres contrary to orders. He was found guilty and reduced to the ranks (Private). By January 1919 he had been promoted to Corporal. Hudson returned to Australia in May and was discharged on 7 August 1919. He rejoined the Bank of NSW after the war and married. Hudson died on 25 December 1952 in Cooma and was interred at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium in Sydney.

Description - height 5 feet 10¼ inches, weight 154 pounds, chest 35-37 inches, sallow complexion, brown eyes, black hair, Church of England.

Schoolhouse Museum, St. John's, Reid (school photograph, Canberra Public School 1908)
Schoolhouse Museum, St. John's, Reid, roll of students
Queanbeyan Age - 4 April 1916
Sydney Morning Herald - 27 December 1952
NSW State Records - www.investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/Search.aspx
Bank of New South Wales Roll of Honour Book, 1921 (courtesy of Sandra Young)
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)