In charge of a raid at Drumcondra (R D Jeune also took part) backed by a detachment of East Lancs. At the house of a Sinn Fein activist called O'Conner they discovered that A W Cope, the Assistant Under Secretary was in direct contact with this known rebel. It turned out that Cope was working under the patronage of Lloyd George and had been told by Lloyd George to set in motion an "initiative"
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1891 May 17 Horace Frank Boddington born and registered at Watford. A few months earlier his parents are in 1891 census living in Chelsea, and his father is a Domestic Butler.
1901 census Horace Boddington at Sunnyside West St, Carshalton, Surrey. His father is a Bookie.
1911 Horace Frank Boddington at Fairview Sherwod Park Road Sutton. He is a second division civil servant working for the Post Office.
1916 Dec Temp. 2nd Lt. H. F. Boddington, from a Garr. Bn., to be temp. 2nd Lt. (attd.).Worcestershire Regt
1917 Nov 17 Landed in France
1918 Jun 15 Worc Regt., Temp.. 2nd Lt. H. F. Boddington to be temp. Lt.
1919 Jan 27 . Temp. Lt. H. F. Boddington, Serv. Bn., to be actg. Capt. (with pay and allces. as Lt.) whilst empld. as actg. Adjt.
1919 Jul 9 Mentioned in despatches
1920 Jun 1. Special Appointment , class GG, in same block as Carew, Attwood, Noble. Hyem in Gazette
1920 Sep. Was in charge of a raid in Dublin on O'Connors on Drumcondra
1921 Apr 1. Worc Reg. Temp. Lt. H. F. Boddington relinquishes his commission on completion of service, and retains the rank of Lt.
1921 May 18, He was in charge of a raid with 2 S Branch men. One was V de Sarigny
1922 Jan 2.(date on letter of 1921 is wrong) The winding down of the British in Ireland has implications
Harper Shove writes to Gen Boyd to arrange lunch to discuss how best to help the men on Boddington's letter. Walter Wilson also comments on the letter. And Boyd then writes to Childs asking for the men to get jobs, the implication being in Palestine. Certainly Carew went on to serve in Palestine
Boddington seems to hae been working in CID in Belfast later in the year
1925 Horace F Boddington marries Gladys H Jaffe in Kensington Jul/Sep
1926 son James F J born. He appears to be the only child of the marriage.
1927 Nov 2. From Worcs Regt to Intelligence to be Lt and retain his present seniority
1933 Feb 21, Regular General Reserve of Officers to be Capt, Lt H F Boddington
1938. H. F. Boddington in Nigel West, The Circus p. 235, as assistant officer in MI5 in 1938.
1945 Jul 26. Hitler's Clock - This electric clock was removed from the wall behind Hitler's desk in his Conference Room, above the door into his ante-room, by Major H. F. Boddington on 26th July 1945. He was an officer of the Worcestershire Regiment, but had worked in the British Intelligence Service for most of the war. That day he was escorting Winston Churchill and other important people in a tour of the Chancellery, Berlin, which had been captured by the Red Army. After deciding to 'liberate' the clock, Major Boddington gave it to the Worsectershire museum for safe keeping, where it has remained as a popular exhibit
1946 Mar 16 . General List Capt. H. F. Boddington (46038) having attained the age limit of liability to re-call, ceases to belong to the Res. of Officers., and is granted the hon. rank of Major. I cannot find a gazette for his OBE, which would appear to have been awarded between Mar 1946 and Jan 1951
The Times, Thursday, Jan 11, 1951
1970 Oct/Dec died at Chichester, Sussex