Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Reginald (Reg) was born in Epsom, Surrey, England in May 1907 to parents Henry Frank and Rosa Edith Hackshaw. Reginald was one of thirteen siblings to Frank and Edith Hackshaw.
 
Reg who was five years of age, departed London England, with his family on 24th December 1912 sailing to Fremantle, West Australia. On departing England there were nine children recorded on the embarkation records. The four other Hackshaw siblings were born in Western Australia. The family first lived in Bellevue where Reg’s father was employed by the WA Government Railways.
 
In 1925 the Hackshaw family moved to Bencubbin purchasing several farming properties, with Reg farming one of those properties. He had moved to Bencubbin with his elder brother Albert. Due to the depression, poor agricultural prices vermin (rabbits) and drought, Reg with other family members were forced to walk of their farms at Bencubbin. Reg moved to Port Hedland in the northwest of Western Australia where he was employed as a truck driver.
 
In August 1940 Reg enlisted into the second A.I.F. at Claremont with his brother Albert. Reg’s serial number was WX7800 with Albert’s number WX7801 who had both joined on the same date. He was taken on strength with the A.I.F. conducting training in Northam. By February 1941 he was transferred to the 2/16th Battalion 3rdreinforcements. Whilst in Northam Reg married in the March of 1941.
 
In April 1941 Reg embarked overseas from Fremantle, arriving in Egypt in May where he was involved in the defences along Egypt Libya frontier against an expected German attack, before returning to Palestine in preparation for the invasion of Syria and Lebanon. Reg’s battalion suffered heavy casualties from this campaign.
 
Reg returned to Australia with the 2/16th Battalion where the battalion called briefly at Fremantle before Reg disembarked in Brisbane, Queensland in March 1942. By August 1942 Reg embarked with his battalion for Port Moresby arriving on the 12th August. By the 29th August, Reg was in action against the Japanese at Abuari on the Kokoda Trail where a series of desperate actions where fought along the Trail.
 
It was on the 1st of September 1942 that Reg’s with his platoon took up position at a track junction on the trail near where they considered the Japanese positions to be. Whilst in their position they observed a Japanese sniper moving into position, he was fired upon by the Australians where he fell from the tree. With this action went all hope of a surprise assault.
 
Reg with several men from his platoon started to double cross the trail to move against a Japanese prepared position, as Reg was crossing the trail a burst of machine gun fire from the Japanese position killed Reg instantly and wounding several other men. The Japanese machine gun position was finally taken by the surviving members of Reg’s platoon with gun fire and grenades.
 
Private Reginald Hackshaw was recorded as “Killed in Action” 1st September 1942, where he is buried in the Bomana War Cemetery, Port Moresby New Guinea.
 
He is remembered with honour.