Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Albert Ashley Hawkes was born on the 27th April 1894 in Adelaide South Australia. He grew up in Fullarton, Unley, and likely attended a local school in the area. He lived with his wife and provided for her as he was a salesman, and they were both Methodists. Hawkes enlisted in the war shortly after he turned 21 on May 19, 1915. He had some previous experience with the naval cadets and senior cadets. After he had completed training Hawkes was placed into the 11th Field Ambulance unit and later transferred to the 3rd Division Army Medical Corps. He embarked from Australia 15th June 1915 and would have been on one of four ships including the Suevic, Berrima, Wandilo, and the Afric. The ship Hawkes was unknown because there were multiple ships, as the whole unit was too large to travel together on the one vessel. He would have arrived at Plymouth on the 21/7/1916 or possibly a few days after depending on the ship. Later the whole unit was united at Salisbury Plain (Lark Hill Camp) to commence further training that took place for four months. From records, it was said to have been a pleasant time for Hawkes and the other members of the unit.

Hawkes was then sent to be trained in Mudros bay Egypt arrivng 27th January 1916. While in in Mudros Bay, he fell sick with several ailments and had many trips to the hospital. On the 20/10/1915 he was admitted to hospital with Jaundice. After he had Jaundice Hawkes became ill with Dysentery and was admitted again on the 27/4/1916. He was then discharged and went back to his unit five days later, on the 29/04/1916. On the 22/08/1916 he had issues with his eyes and was admitted to the 3rd Australian Stationary hospital.

For those months Hawkes had a welcome change in the fact that he had no injuries or sickness although that soon changed when he was transferred. On the 24/11/1916 He and his unit were marched from England to Southampton for France. On this day Hawkes was transferred to the 3rd Division Army Medical Corps. From here he made his way to the Western Front. He soon reached Le Harve, a French port on the English Channel used by the British Expeditionary Force throughout the war.

From Le Harve, Hawkes and his unit waited three days and then embarked on a train to Bailleul (an important railhead, air depot, and hospital centre) aiming to reach the forward zone. For the next two and a half days, knee-deep in mud Hawkes marched to the Divisional Rest Station at Steenwerck and his unit eventually took over.

His records show that Hawkes did not make any more major movements aside from hospital visits. On the 4/06/1917 he was admitted to hospital for unknown reasons and on the 12/6/1917 he was wounded in action from a gunshot in his right forearm. There were multiple other injuries that Hawkes had throughout his time on the Western Front, but his servicer records do not mention what the injury was or what hospital he was treated at. The 24/09/1918 would have been a difficult time for Hawkes as that was when he was informed of his Father’s death. The actual date of his death is unknown, but it was likely many days before he knew.

On the day before Christmas in 1918 Hawkes was absent without leave and was missing for a further six days until the 30/12/1918. At this time, he presumably went somewhere in France to celebrate Christmas after his difficult years in the war. His punishment was for each day he was gone his pay was taken.

From this point, there is no more direct information about Hawkes’s time in the war, although it is known that his unit returned to Australia and was demobilized in 1919.

There is little information about Hawkes after the war. He went back to Adelaide South Australia to live with his wife.  Many years later Hawkes died at the age of seventy-three years and five months in Adelaide on the 10/9/1967. He  was cremated and his ashes lie at Centennial Park Cemetery in West Gardens Rose Bed 23.

For his time in the war, Hawkes was awarded three medals. The Star Medal was issued to British forces who had served in France or Belgium from 5 August 1914 (the declaration of war) to midnight on the 22 of November 1914 (the end of the First Battle of Ypres).

The British War Medal was awarded to officers and men of the British and Imperial Forces who either entered a theatre of war (an area of active fighting) or served overseas (perhaps as a garrison soldier) between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918 inclusive.

The Allied Victory Medal was awarded to an individual that had entered a theatre of war (an area of active fighting), not just served overseas. Their service number, rank, name, and unit were impressed on the rim.

Although Hawkes was awarded these medals the most important thing to remember is that he valiantly fought for his country and made it safely home unlike the thousands of other Australians that perished in World War I, in particularly the 116 men from the 11th Field Ambulance that he fought alongside.