Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Tom Southam HAWKES and Lelia Maud HAWKES nee BAILEY, 'Llanberis', Western Beach, Geelong, Victoria

Thomas Bailey Hawkes was born in Geelong on 10 July 1898 to Tom Southam Hawkes and Lelia Maud Hawkes, née Bailey.  They lived at the property, Llanberis 30 Western Beach (cnr Ginn Street), Geelong.  The family operated a highly successful iron monger/ hardware  / builders supply business initially located in Mercer Street Geelong, established in 1854.  On 6 April 1914, the Geelong Advertiser reported that the successful business hosted a Diamond (60 years) Anniversary Picnic at Barwon Heads where its 88 employees from its business locations in Geelong, Melbourne, Beaufort and Launceston were invited.  The business had earlier relocated to new premises at 1 Clare Street (cnr Corio Street) Geelong.

Young Tom with his younger brother John (Jack Hawkes) both attended Geelong College (as did their father) for their schooling and they also attended All Saints Anglican Church.  Tom Bailey Hawkes enlisted for WW1 on 1 March 1918 at the age of 19 years with the written permission of his parents.  He listed his occupation as a student, as he had only recently left school.

After initial training in Broadmeadows, Tom embarked on the military transport ship, Barambah on 31 August 1918.  During the journey, 23 fellow soldiers died of influenza (possibly the Spanish Flu).  Though still ill from influenza himself, Tom arrived in Tilbury England on 11 November 1918, the date of the Armistice and was allocated to the 14th Battalion.  With the Armistice in place, Tom remained in England and never really saw a shot fired in anger!  He was gainfully employed in the Records Office at AIF headquarters in London for the next 11 months.

Tom returned to Australia on October 1919, being finally discharged again on the 2nd Armistice Day 11 November 1919.  He received the British War Medal for his service.  To acknowledge the WW1 service of its employees, Hawkes Bros commissioned its own Honour Board which lists the names of 19 staff members, 6 of whom were killed in action (see photo below).  The Board now resides at the Geelong Heritage Centre.  Interestingly, TB Hawkes is not listed.

Meanwhile, Tom’s younger brother Jack Bailey Hawkes a promising school cricketer at Geelong College, in 1921 took up tennis as a career, subsequently playing in all the grand slams around the world and representing Australia in the Davis Cup in many countries over a number of years.  Jack Hawkes won the Australian Open in 1926 as well as winning the doubles and mixed doubles at the same tournament. He retired from tennis in 1932.

Whilst having a break from following many Davis Cup tournaments, their father, Tom senior was in Yokohama Japan in September 1923 when he was tragically killed in an Earthquake. Also killed was his  long-term friend Russell Keayes who was Jack’s earlier tennis coach, now a wool buyer and also a fellow former Geelong College student. They were staying  in the Oriental Palace Hotel, Yokohama when the earthquake struck.  Lelia Hawkes was a survivor of the earthquake.

Following the tragic death of his father, Tom Bailey Hawkes at the age of 25, took over the management of the business of Hawkes Brothers.  Tom had married on 6 July 1922 to Leslie Jean Vincent, daughter of pastoralist Robert Vincent of ‘Prospect House’, Western Beach Geelong, at St George’s Presbyterian Church, La Trobe Terrace Geelong.  They then moved into their family home at 195 Noble Street, cnr Shannon Avenue Newtown.

Hawkes Bros P/L, now located at the corner of Corio Street and Clare Street Geelong (now Nireeda Apartments) continued to prosper and in 1928 they engaged architects Laird & Buchanan to design extensions including a 3rd story to the building.  Come, WW2, Tom enlisted in the army once again, at the age of 42, on 26 June 1940.  This time he listed his occupation as a merchant / Managing Director.

After military training in Geelong and Werribee, and being promoted to Sergeant, Tom departed Melbourne on 29 December 1940 for service in the Middle East, in Tobruk.  He was a Gunner in the 3rd Anti Aircraft Regiment.  A little over 3 months later on 7 April 1941 whilst on a night patrol, Tom became separated from his unit and was subsequently surrounded by a German armoured unit and surrendered.

This led to 4 years being a Prisoner of War of the Nazis, initially interned in PoW camps in Italy and later in Austria.  Tom remained a PoW till 29 May 1945, 3 weeks after VE Day on 8 May 1945.  Tom was returned to London for recovery and subsequently returned to Australia on 24 July finally, being discharged from the AIF on 28 August 1945.

Back in Geelong, Tom resumed his role as Managing Director of Hawkes Bros P/L and in 1947 was also elected President of Geelong Racing Club.  

Later in 1947, Tom travelled with his wife, to America to study business operations as it applied to Hawkes Bros.  Sadly, Tom took ill during the return journey to Australia and upon docking was admitted to hospital in Lewisham, Sydney where he sadly died on 12 April 1948.

Tom has a Memorial tomb at Eastern Cemetery (see photo below).  Tom’s younger brother, tennis champion Jack Hawkes then took over as Managing Director of Hawkes Brothers.  The business survived till the 1970s and Jack Hawkes passed away on 31 March 1990 in Geelong.

His son, Tom Vincent Hawkes, born 27 May 1923, also a Geelong Collegian, served in WW2 in the RAN from 25 February 1942 on 4 ships, seeing action in the Phillipines, prior to his discharge in 1946.  He was also active with the business till its demise.

Tom Bailey Hawkes is also listed on the Geelong College WW1 Roll of Honour, the Ballarat Prisoners of War Memorial and is one of the 137 names listed on the All Saints WW1 honour board and there is certainly quite a story behind those few gold letters that record his name.

Courtesy of Stephen Yewdall