On Tower Hill Memorial, Trinity Square, London is the name of Master Edward Dent Ridge serving on S.S. Ashmun J. Clough (London)  with the Merchant Navy who died 20/08/1944.

He was the son of John and Martha Hodge and the husband of Minnie May Hodge, of East Boldon, County  Durham.

Christine Davison has submitted the following:-

Edward Dent Hodge was the son of John and Martha Hodge nee Dent.

Edward was Christened on 23rd March 1902 at St. Michael and All Angels, Westoe, South Shields.

Both his parents were born in South Shields and married in 1898; his elder brother John was born in 1900. They were living at Westoe at the time of the 1901 Census; his father was a Railway Clerk.

By 1911, the family had moved to 5 Ferndale Avenue (now number 14). These are the houses that back onto Ashbrooke Terrace and were built in 1909, so it may be that the family moved in when it was first built.

Edward became a Seaman and gained his Second Mate certificate in 1922 and his First Mate Certificate in 1925.

Edward married Minnie May Lumley at St. George’s Church in East Boldon on 13th June 1932. Her parents had a Grocer’s Shop in Salisbury Terrace, but came from South Shields originally. By 1939, Minnie was living at 19 Ashbrooke Terrace on her own; presumably, Edward was at sea.

Edward died on 26th August 1944 when his ship, S.S. Ashmun J. Clough, was torpedoed at 8.30 a.m. north of Cherbourg. They were en route from Avonmouth, Somerset, to Utah Beach, Normandy, carrying military supplies. The ship broke in two and sank within two minutes. Edward, the ship’s Master, 11 crew and 4 gunners died.

Edward Dent Hodge is remembered at East Boldon on E46.01 and E46.07 and  in our List of Ships’ Crews.