William Henry DAWKINS

DAWKINS, William Henry

Service Number: Officer
Enlisted: 26 September 1914, Melbourne, Victoria
Last Rank: Lieutenant
Last Unit: 2nd Field Company Engineers
Born: Ferntree Gully, Victoria, Australia, 26 October 1892
Home Town: Ferntree Gully, Knox, Victoria
Schooling: Korong Vale State School, Melbourne High School and Duntroon Military College
Occupation: Military Student
Died: Killed In Action, Gallipoli, 20 May 1915, aged 22 years
Cemetery: Beach Cemetery - ANZAC Cove
I. H. 3
Memorials: Kyneton War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

26 Sep 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Melbourne, Victoria
21 Oct 1914: Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Officer, 2nd Field Company Engineers, ANZAC / Gallipoli,

--- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Orvieto embarkation_ship_number: A3 public_note: ''

21 Oct 1914: Embarked AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Officer, 2nd Field Company Engineers, HMAT Orvieto, Melbourne
20 May 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 2nd Field Company Engineers, ANZAC / Gallipoli

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Biography

"...Lieutenant William Henry Dawkins, 2nd Field Company Engineers, of Ferntree Gully, Vic. A military student prior to enlistment, Lt Dawkins embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Orvieto on 21st October 1914. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 20th May 1915 and was buried in the Beach Cemetery at Anzac Cove." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)

Biography contributed by Michael Silver

Lieutenant William Henry Dawkins who was killed in action on May 20, 1915 was the son of Constable A. Dawkins now stationed at Fern Tree Gully. Lieutenant Dawkins who was 22 years of age was formerly of Korong Vale where he was well known and respected. It was in the Korong Vale State School that he received his early education and later left for the Melbourne Continuation School (later known as Melbourne High School) [1907-1908]. Subsequently he was a teacher in a State school in the Kyneton district. Upon the opening of the Duntroon Military College in 1911, he was one of a few to pass the entrance examination. In fact, he was an enthusiastic military student, and while at the college he graduated to the top of the class. He specialized in military engineering and remained at the college until war broke out. On enlisting he was gazetted a lieutenant in the 2nd Field Company Engineers, but after leaving Egypt for the Dardanelles was transferred to the Divisional headquarters staff. Being of a quiet unassuming nature he was loved by all who he came in contact.

Source: The Bendigo Independent, 3 June 1915, Page 2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page24435398

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