Hopson | Joseph
Biography
Joseph Hopson was killed on 14th October 1944 at Overloon. He was aged 26 and a Private in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (Service No. 5113550). He was initially buried at the Maria Regina Monastery in Stevenbeek and transferred to the current Overloon War Graves Commission Cemetery on 22nd May 1947.
The 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment was part of the British Expeditionary Force at the beginning of the war and took part in the Battle of France, with survivors being evacuated from Dunkirk in June 1940. After Dunkirk, the battalion moved to Somerset to counter a potential German invasion but in early December it was transferred to London and was not, unlike most of the rest of the Army, committed to beach defence duties. In September 1942, it was transferred to the 185th Infantry Brigade which was then incorporated in the 3rd Infantry Division which landed on D-Day on 6th June 1944 with the first assault on the Normandy beaches. It fought from the Battle for Caen and the break out from Normandy to the Rhine crossing. From D-Day until the end of the war, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment lost 286 officers and men killed in action, with nearly another 1,000 all ranks wounded, missing or suffering from exhaustion.
The Battalion entered the Netherlands at Asten on 22nd September, 1944. This is to the east of Eindhoven. On 1stOctober, in drenching rain, they moved north east from there to Malden which is between Nijmegen and the River Meuse. The plan at that stage was for the US 7th Armoured Division to move south east through Overloon and Venraij to the west bank of the Meuse opposite Venlo while British forces, including the 3rd Division, would move eastward, across the German frontier, and capture the forest area known as the Reichswald, from which the Germans had been launching counter attacks.
However, by 9th October, the plan changed. An attempt by the US 7th Armoured Division to take Overloon and Venraij had lost many men and tanks without making much headway. Field Marshal Montgomery decided that he must postpone the Reichswald attack. He needed to clear the Scheldt estuary to open the badly needed port facilities of Antwerp and the lesser, but also essential, task of eliminating the German forces west of the Meuse. The latter objective was entrusted to 8 Corps, including the 3rd Division. The 3rd Division was to attack south east to Venraij, in the hope of drawing off enemy forces while three other divisions prepared to advance eastward to Venlo.
The Battalion was therefore diverted southwards and by 12th October they had moved to near Wanroy, a village south of the Meuse and just north of Overloon. They took over from the 8th Infantry Brigade which succeeded in capturing Overloon that day but were unable to make progress through the woods south of it.
Sgt. George W A Davis later gave a vivid description of the conditions which were to come: “The last good, long, sleep we had was about the 10th or 11th of October. Our clothes were filthy, we were near exhaustion, due to lack of food and sleep. It was very cold and rain and sleet all the time, so we were all wet. There were shells, mortar bombs, machine gunning, Moaning Minnies, rockets and German snipers all over the place.”
The following day the Battalion moved to a position just 500 yds north west of Overloon with the aim, along with the 2ndBattalion of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, of clearing these woods and then allowing the 1st Norfolk Battalion to pass through and advance on Venray. The Battalion achieved its objective, but they had come under heavy fire from enemy mortars, artillery and small arms fire as well as two tanks when they reached the open ground south of the wood and it had taken longer than expected to clear the woods. By the time the objective was reached it was so late that it was decided not to put the 1st Norfolk Battalion through until the next day. The Warwickshires dug in on the southern edge of the woods.
The following day was the 14th October, the day on which Joseph was killed. The 1st Norfolks continued the advance at first light, moving through the Warwickshire battalion astride the main road, while the 9th Infantry Brigade attacked the woods to the west. They met very heavy opposition during the day and had to cope with swampy ground but by 1800 hours the 1st Norfolks had secured the high ground north of the Molenbeek and the 9th Infantry were established in the north part of the woods. The 2nd Battalion of the Warwickshires was then ordered to advance and secure the ground between the 1st Norfolks and the 9th Brigade. B and D Companies performed this task and by dark were dug in to the right of the Norfolks overlooking the Molenbeek while A and C companies and battalion headquarters remained in their original positions. On this day five Other Ranks of the 2nd Battalion Warwickshires were killed (including Joseph) while Major GFJ Jerram and fourteen Other Ranks were wounded.
Family history
Joseph’s parents were Joseph and Eliza Hopson (nee Burrows). Eliza Burrows was born on 1st April, 1897 while Joseph Hopson (Snr) was born a few months later on 14th June, 1897, both in the Dudley area. They married in that area in 1917 and had four children as follows: Joseph 22/12/1917, Lawson 29/8/1919, Mary 2/2/1922 and William 22/7/1923.
The Dudley area was already known for its nail making and chain making industries as well as a glass industry in the 17th and 18th centuries. The iron industry boomed in the 19th century and the glass industry also continued to prosper. A brick making industry also emerged at this time, making use of local clay and a ready supply of coal slack from nearby collieries. During the 20th century, the traditional industries in Dudley declined in importance but industry became more diverse. While the metalworking and glass industries continued in the area new industries included plastics, electronics, and chemicals.
In 1921 Joseph and Eliza were living with Eliza’s 61 year old widowed mother, Maria Burrows, at 5, Shropshire Row, Kingswinford. There too were young Joseph and his brother Lawson as well as Maria’s 18 year old daughter Ethel. Joseph (Snr) was working as a Clay Miner / Hewer at Mr J Waterfield & Sons Fire Brick Works. Eliza and Ethel were both working as Fire Brickmakers for Mr G Chance at the Himley Fire Brick Works.
Although the address is given as Kingswinford, 5 Shropshire Row was an area to the west of Dudley and Gornalwood, just south of Himley and North of Kingswinford, all now in the West Midlands. It is probably where Joseph’s mother Eliza and all her children including Joseph were born. It is thought that his father Joseph (Snr) was born in nearby Lower Gornal or Gornalwood as were Eliza’s parents.
This was a heavily industrialised area. In the immediate vicinity of Shropshire Row were several brickworks and collieries. Waterfield’s Brick Works was situated on Jew’s Lane in Lower Gornal which was a few miles north east of where they were living. It was sold off and then closed in the early 1930s. Mr G Chance’s brick works was located at Shutt End near Pensnett, Kingswinford, just to the south of Shropshire Row. It had been founded in 1847 to supply refactories to the owner’s Smethwick Glass Works.
By 1939 Joseph and Eliza were in their own home at 2 Redhall Road in Gornalwood. Joseph (Snr) was working as a Brick Worker at a Marl Quarry. Eliza was now a housewife rather that doing paid work. All their children were working: Joseph (Jnr) was working as a Cutting Machine Brick Worker shaping refractory goods. Lawson was working as a Hand Brick Moulder for a Fire Clay Goods Manufacturer, Mary was a Machinist (Tailoress) and William was working as a Grinding Mill Brick Worker.
Joseph’s brother, Lawson, married Annie Friend in 1942 and Joseph married Annie’s sister, Violet E Friend in 1943.
Annie and Violet’s parents, William and Edith Friend (nee Westwood), had married in 1914. They had 8 children as follows: Mary E 1915, Bert Edward 2/8/1916, Violet E 29/11/1917, Annie 7/9/1919, Ernest John 9/3/1921, George H H 5/3/1923, Edith M 1927, and Gloria D 1931. However, Mary died in 1916 and Edith in 1927, both just 1 year old.
In 1921 William and Edith Friend (aged 34 and 30 respectively) were living at 9, Prospect Road, Gornalwood, with their children Bert, Violet, Annie and Ernest. The head of the household was Edith’s 63 year old widowed father, Edward Westwood, and there too were his 21 year old son Samuel James Westwood and 18 year old daughter Annie Westwood. It is likely that William, Edith and all their children as well as Edward and his other children were born in this same area. William was working as a miner at the Baggeridge Colliery Co. – but was out of work at the time. This colliery was founded in 1902 by the Earl of Dudley and was located adjacent to Gospel End Village and well to the north west of Gornalwood. Edward Westwood was a Platelayer working for the Earl of Dudley, but he, too, was out of work.
By 1939 Edith was living at 60 Brookdale in Gornalwood with children Bert, Violet, Annie and George. It isn’t known where William was or what happened to him. Bert was working as a Colliery Maintenance Engineer, both Violet and Annie were Brickyard Workers (described as heavy work) while George was working as a Turner on Air Ministry work. Ernest was still living at 9 Prospect Road, though his aunt, Annie Westwood, was now the head of the household. He was working as a Rope Man – a surface worker at a Coal & Fireclay Mine.
Annie Friend then went on to marry Lawson Hopson in 1942 and Joseph married Violet Friend in 1943.
Joseph and Violet Hopson had a child, Brian G Hopson in early 1944 in this same area.
Lawson and Annie Hopson had two children: William J Hopson in 1943 and Lawson D Hopson in 1951.
It isn’t known when Joseph Hopson joined the army but sadly, he died on 14th October 1944, not long after the birth of his son. His name is recorded on the Lower Gornal War Memorial originally erected in 1929 with WW2 names added much later. It is positioned in front of the Memorial Hall built in 1925.
Violet Hopson went on to marry Eli Whitehouse in 1948 and they had one child called John M Whitehouse in 1949.
Joseph’s son, Brian, married Patricia M Williams in Dudley in 1969. Their daughter, Sharon Hopson was born in 1970 and married Mark J Richards in 1996 in Dudley. They have two children, Joseph’s great grandchildren, born in 1997 and 2001 who are now making their way in the world.
Violet E Whitehouse died aged 84 in 2002 in Dudley.
