WW1 Australian ‘A’ Squadron, 10th Light Horse casualty medal trio to Sergeant Geoffrey Dodson, killed in action 2nd May 1918, during the early morning Turkish attack on their position at Es Salt. 1914-15 Star, impressed named 793 PTE. G. H. DODSON. 10TH L.H. REGT. A.I.F.; British War Medal impressed named 793 A-SGT. G. H. DODSON. 10TH - L.H.R. A.I.F. and Victory Medal, impressed named 793 PTE. G. H. DODSON. 10TH - L.H. A.I.F., the last being issued by Australia House (London). Medals court mounted for display and come with a large copied service & unit diary documents. Geoffrey Hardwick Dodson was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, enlisting for service in the A.I.F. 6th January 1915, aged 22. He had originally spent 8 years in service of the Militia/Territorial Army in the U.K. He was initially allotted to the 3rd Reinforcements of the 10th Light Horse Regiment, serving at Gallipoli 16th May 1915. Wounded in action (G.S.W. forearm) 30th May 1915 at Quinn’s Post, as a member of 2nd Lt. J. W. Colpitt’s party. Returned to Australia to recuperate from Diptheria 3rd March 1916. He was further allotted to the 24th Reinforcements of the 10th Light Horse, disembarking at Suez 12th March 1917. The following day being promoted to Temporary Sergeant. On the morning of the 2nd May 1918, ‘A’ Squadron, 10th Light Horse was in a defensive position, situated east of the Amman Road. From 2 a.m. the Turks repeatedly attacked the Australian lines, inflicting around 150 dead, with their own losses at around 1,000. Light Horse losses were nominal. (C.E.W. Bean, Vol 8, p. 627). After the battle, Major Dunkley, ‘A’ Squadron Commanding Officer, noted as a footnote in Dodson’s service record: “Body unburied, every effort made to recover but impossible owing to heavy enemy fire at short range”. Dodson’s body was never recovered and is today commemorated at the Jerusalem War Memorial Cemetery.
