National Archives Australia link to war service record:
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5283613

The service number as per the headstone is 10463 however his service number in his war service record is listed on different documents as 10463 and 18463. We have contacted a few departments in Australia to confirm the correct number and the Australian War Memorial have said "On the fourth page of the service record, the third last entry reads 'Allotted Regimental Number 10463'. As such, it appears he was originally allotted number 18463. This is reflected on the embarkation roll held by the Memorial: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1937648
In 1917, he was allotted a new regimental number and served under this number for the remainder of the war, reflected on the Memorial's Nominal Roll: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2446321
It was not uncommon for soldiers to have multiple regimental numbers, especially in the First World War, as the numbers were not unique to an individual, only to the regiment or unit. As such, there were many occurrences of soldiers transferring into a unit where someone else was already allotted the same regimental number (eg. 12345). In these cases they would assign them a new regimental number, sometimes just adding a letter to the end (eg. 12345a).
In regard to AIEF, this stands for Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force, but AIF is more commonly used."

Staff Sergeant Charles Owen Hodgins 18463, was born in Wellington 20 July 1889 and was working as a dentist in Australia when WWI broke out. He enlisted in Perth, Western Australia February 1916 and was discharged in August 1919. Following the war he was living in Masterton New Zealand and requested his war medals be forwarded to his address there.

In 1936, had been working as a dentist in Rarotonga for two years when he tragically drowned at the Avarua Wharf.

Headstone voluntarily relettered by our team September 2024.