Arthur Hodgkinson DSO, DFC & Bar (1916–10 July 1943) was a British flying ace of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

[2] The squadron was equipped with the Bristol Blenheim, operating it primarily in a night fighter role from Catterick, although it also carried out convoy patrols.

[3] On a night sortie, carried out on 21 July, Hodgkinson engaged and damaged a German aircraft of an unknown type to the west of Church Fenton.

[4] By mid-August, the aerial fighting over the southeast of England had intensified and detachments of the squadron moved south to Redhill to assist in intercepting daytime raids mounted by the Luftwaffe.

219 Squadron began converting to the new Bristol Beaufighter heavy fighter and became operational from Redhill with the type in October, patrolling over London.

[4] For much of the winter, there were no engagements with Luftwaffe aircraft but on the night of 26 February 1941, now piloting a Beaufighter and paired with Sergeant Bertram Dye as his radar operator, Hodgkinson damaged a Heinkel He 111 medium bomber near Tangmere.

The announcement was made on 11 April;[2][4] the citation for Hodgkinson's DFC, published in The London Gazette, read: This officer has carried out numerous operational flights.

Both have displayed exceptional skill and keenness which, combined with excellent team work, has resulted in the destruction of at least 6 enemy aircraft at night.Later in the month, on 21 June, Hodgkinson shot down what was most likely a He 111 over Portsmouth.

[8] His new unit was based at Colerne and engaged in night fighting duties but within weeks of Hodgkinson's arrival commenced converting from the obsolete Boulton Paul Defiant turret-fighter to the De Havilland Mosquito heavy fighter.

[4][10] This was based on the island of Malta and, equipped with Mosquitos, tasked with carrying out night-time intruder sorties to Sicily and mainland Italy, targeting airfields initially, then transportation infrastructure.

The following week, during a sortie to attack trains in the west of Sicily, Woodman was killed when the duo's Mosquito was hit by ground fire.

Latterly, in the Middle East, he has bombed targets in Tunisia, Italy and Sicily and, during these operations, he has attacked numerous locomotives to good effect, while fires have been started in railway installations and sidings as a result of his determined work.

In addition, Flight Lieutenant Hodgkinson has executed many sorties over enemy airfields during which he has destroyed 3 hostile aircraft and caused much disorganisation.

His sterling work has contributed in a large measure to the' successes of his squadron.Hodgkinson and Crapper are buried at Beach Head War Cemetery, in Anzio, Italy.