Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

BEFORE THE WAR
Henry Charles Hawks was born in Woolwich, London, but then migrated down south to Glenelg South Australia, before January 1915. His occupation was labourer. His wife lived in Glenelg with him and was the next of kin meaning she would receive all of his possessions if anything were to happen to her husband during the war. Henry Charles Hawkes was a member of the Church of England. Before entering the war, he had never been to jail or served a penalty which was recorded on his service record. This man is 5'6" in height and has blue eyes, brown hair, and a fair complexion were 64kgs when entering the war. On the 12th of January 1915 in Oaklands, he applied for the war at age 33 and 2 months making him one of the older people who enlisted. He was declared fit to go to war and serve in the 27th battalion with his regimental number which was 98. 

DURING THE WAR
When Henry Charles enlisted to go to war in Oaklands South Australia he was put into the 27th battalion which was primarily a South Australian battalion. It came together in March 1915 with the commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Walter Dollman. The battalion trained in the newly established Mitcham Camp south of the city of Adelaide on April 16. After the intensive training that the people who enlisted underwent, they embarked on their journey to Egypt where more training took place. In September they arrived in Gallipoli which was short-lived after they evacuated back to Egypt in December only three months later.  By the later stage of this campaign, hygiene issues were creating diseases that spread through the battalion creating many diseases and causing several deaths. During the re-consolidation period in Egypt, many from the 27th battalion were divided and assigned to other units. This is when Henry Charles Hawkes was assigned to the 24th battalion after his stay with the 27th.

The role he was assigned for WWI was a bugler meaning he would play command signals on a bugle (which is a brass horn) On some bugles there is an inscription detailing the person or their unit that they can be identified by but not all genuinely do. Something that all bugles have is a maker’s mark at the bottom of the bell. This includes whom it was made by and if it was issued by the department of defence rather than something provided by an outside cause.Early in his journey, he was transferred to the 24th battalion from the 27th battalion on the 12th of January 1915. During his time with the 24th battalion, they were fighting at Anzac Cove in the battle of Lone Pine. They arrive at Anzac Cove on the 6th of September 1915 at 1 pm and came in at 9.30 pm. getting little rest sadly which was stated in the unit diary for 6/9/15 for the 24th battalion. On the 10th of September 1915, the battalion was divided into 4 sections for the beginning of the battle in Lone Pine each section rotating throughout the night. On the 11th of September half of the battalion went to White valley, this excluded Henry Charles Hawkes, but another bugler was injured during the mission.

On the 16th of August 1915, Henry Charles Hawkes suffered from a gunshot wound to his neck by a Turkish soldier in the battle of Lone Pine on Anzac cove. On this date, there was a bomb throughout the day and night meaning that the state of the fields and trenches would have been in havoc. During that 3 soldiers were killed and 5 were injured in the 24th battalion. When Henry Charles Hawkes was shot, he was transported to a hospital located near the front lines but due to the fatal damage caused by the bullet in his neck, he was taken out of the war and transported to a hospital where he could have his wounds tended to. On the 21st he was transported to a hospital in Malta which he was admitted to on the 22nd following a day after his embarkment. After about half a month on the 8th of October, Henry Charles embarked on his journey to England to be admitted to the Third London General Hospital in Wandsworth. On the 28th of June 1916, he was transferred to Salisbury which put him back in the war after 9 months.

On the 4th of July 1916, Henry Charles Hawkes was promoted from private to Acting Lance corporal. He was also transferred to the Headquarter Band, and he served the rest of the war in England.

During this period, he had to spend time in the detention barracks on the 2nd of November 1917 because he was absent without leave for 10 days. All though he has been absent without leave several times throughout the war.

LIFE AFTER THE WAR

At the end of the war, Henry Charles Hawkes was promoted from Lance Corporal to a temporary Sergeant on the 5th of November 1919.  Henry Charles Hawkes was then discharged less than a year later on the 16th of September 1920 back home to South Australia where he later died and was then buried at AIF Cemetery, West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, Australia. The medals he received were the British war medal, the 1914/15 star, and the Victory award which went to those who participated in the campaign.