BiRD Posted 9 March , 2020 Share Posted 9 March , 2020 Hello, I'm quite new here and I just want to learn stuff about WW1 and all the veterans that lived for over 100 years to tell the story. If I don't anything wrong please tell me... So, I'm here because I watched a WW1 documentary dating back to 1998. There was one person there which I wanted to know about more, his name was Richard Hawkins. I only got small pieces of information about him but very little, I didn't get his date of birth/date of death, when he joined the army, what rank he was and so on. So, I just want to hear you guys and hear your knowledge about this lovely chap. Thanks, it will definitely help. 🙏🙏🙏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 9 March , 2020 Share Posted 9 March , 2020 The image is from tne BBC show 'The Last Tommies'. This is a picture of him as a soldier https://www.thetablet.co.uk/arts/11/14900/horror-but-no-self-pity-in-recollections-of-the-great-war Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiRD Posted 9 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 9 March , 2020 Yeah okay but, is there any more known information? I can't seem to find any <:/ I'm struggling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 9 March , 2020 Share Posted 9 March , 2020 The extra information will come in due course - someone here will almost certainly be able to build on it. The picture seems to me to be of a Royal Fusilier officer. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiRD Posted 9 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 9 March , 2020 Okay thanks for trying to help. I'll wait till someone builds up enough information for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 9 March , 2020 Share Posted 9 March , 2020 The only RFus officer I can see is Richard Maurice Hawkins https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1072390 Born 1895 and enlisted 16 Sep 1914. https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f007401270%2f00920&parentid=gbm%2fwo363-4%2f7401270%2f35%2f919 Later commissioned on 26 Sep 1914. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28918/page/7691/data.pdf Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 9 March , 2020 Admin Share Posted 9 March , 2020 I’m sure he figured in one of Richard van Endems books @Forton Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 9 March , 2020 Admin Share Posted 9 March , 2020 Just got home and checked, he figures quite a bit in Britain's Last Tommies book by Richard. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiRD Posted 9 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 9 March , 2020 Woah okay. Yeah, that's actually coming together now. We even have his full name. Here's what I got so far for my work ================================ Name: Richard Maurice Hawkins Born: 1895 Died: ? Enlisted: 16 September 1914 Last Commissioned: 26 September 1914 Rank: Royal Fusiliers ================================ Were almost done. I got all of that to put into my document I made about him. The only thing I'm missing now is when he died, I couldn't find that at all. I assume he died in the very early 2000's Like 2000, or 2001. I don't know. Someone will let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiRD Posted 9 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 9 March , 2020 Okay, I'm pretty sure I found it. This says Richard Maurice Hawkins was born on 8 March 1895. He died on 26 November 1994, aged 99. Let me know if it's right or not. https://books.google.com.au/books?id=7q2gCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT33&lpg=PT33&dq=Richard Maurice+Hawkins+1895&source=bl&ots=16qKgJQ2we&sig=ACfU3U2GoWOvKg-ErkxBD5390B_CskxOJQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjO18CXmo7oAhXRxzgGHeiADlwQ6AEwAHoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&q=Richard Maurice Hawkins 1895&f=false Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 9 March , 2020 Share Posted 9 March , 2020 13 minutes ago, BiRD said: Enlisted: 16 September 1914 Last Commissioned: 26 September 1914 Rank: Royal Fusiliers Enlisted: = 16 September 1914 - wow, not sure he had any previous service and 10 days does seem extremely quick to get through officer training! ... so ???, perhaps needs must ??? [His service record at the TNA may assist - as Craig also indicated above in post #6] Commissioned: 26 September 1914 (as a 2nd Lieutenant) Rank: 2nd Lieutenant / Lieutenant / Captain - appears to have later risen to acting Captain with the Training Reserve - eventually reverting to Lieutenant 9 Jan 1918 (with seniority of his Lieutenancy from 1 July 1915) https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30637/page/4705 [Based on Name and regiment - note it seems he has a Military Cross, which seems corroborated by the later LG entry below with his full name] Served with: Royal Fusiliers, King's Royal Rifle Corps and Training Reserve Campaign medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D1794217 [MIC also available via Ancestry] Theatre(s) of war: Not specified or dated on his MIC [but must have first been between 23 November 1914 and 31 December 1915] Awards: Military Cross - 1 January 1917 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/13033/page/35 - as a Lieutenant with R. Fus. Address: 29.9.1921 [when he returned his form EF9 to request his medals - see rear of his MIC] - 105 New London Road, Chelmsford, Essex Died: Q4/1994 - death registered in Amber Valley [which seems to be in Derbyshire] Does this match/help??? :-) M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyH Posted 9 March , 2020 Share Posted 9 March , 2020 Richard Hawkins was featured in a series called 'Lost Heroes of WW1' shown on Channel 5 a good few years ago. He was captioned as being 11th Royal Fusiliers. BillyH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandra Hawkins Posted 19 June Share Posted 19 June (edited) Hello, I'm the granddaughter of Richard Hawkins as mentioned in the conversation above. It was quite lovely to see the picture of him as he died when I was in my early teens, he was the grand age of 99. I can try to give you any some more information about him. My father, Keith Richard Hawkins, sadly died just over a year ago at the age of 92. From my Dads belongings I found a pair of binoculars that my Grandad used in July 1916 at the battle of Trones Wood, along with a written description of how he obtained them. I will follow this with pictures of the binoculars and the letter included in the case. I hope you find this interesting. Alexandra Edited 19 June by Alexandra Hawkins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandra Hawkins Posted 19 June Share Posted 19 June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandra Hawkins Posted 19 June Share Posted 19 June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 19 June Admin Share Posted 19 June Tagging @BiRD as they haven’t visited the forum for some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandra Hawkins Posted 19 June Share Posted 19 June (edited) Hopefully the photos of my Granddads binoculars and his written note have been uploaded. I will put what his note says, as near as I can do. 'On the 14th July 1916 during the filthy Battle of Trones Wood I needed my binoculars. Unfortunately I found they had been smashed by a bullet. I ordered Green my ....(i can't make out the word) who seldom let me out of his sight - to get me a pair of glasses - Quick. In a few minutes he was back and handed me these. We both survived and a few days after the battle I examined them. The heavy leather case bore the initials O.D.S I called up Green and asked him where he got them. He said from a dead German officer. I said " That's looting" He said " Well Sir you said you needed some binoculars and it was my job to obay your orders - they were no more good to him anyway " I said well it's still looting and what about his family but my ...(can't read the word) did not appear to impress him. That was 59 years ago. They are Carl Jena Silvarew 222428 6x 1945' A true gent, even in battle. Edited 19 June by Alexandra Hawkins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 19 June Admin Share Posted 19 June 3 minutes ago, Alexandra Hawkins said: 'On the 14th July 1016 during the filthy Battle of Trones Wood I needed my binoculars. Unfortunately I found they had been smashed by a bullet. I ordered Green my ....(i can't make out the word) who seldom let me out of his sight - to get me a pair of glasses - Quick. Green my batman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandra Hawkins Posted 19 June Share Posted 19 June I thought it said Batman but wasn't sure that terminology would be used back then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 19 June Admin Share Posted 19 June I think the other word could be comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandra Hawkins Posted 19 June Share Posted 19 June Yes of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandra Hawkins Posted 19 June Share Posted 19 June I remember my Grandad showing me a picture of him looking down to the trenches in the Battle of the Somme, the same as the note mentions. He called it his suicide time. Such horrors war inflicts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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