yachty

On 17 June 2016 at 02:59, POWCollector said:

Next up is probably the most visually pleasing POW group in my collection and is a recent acquisition.

John Henry Cornelius Hawkins was born on the 8th of September 1901 in Ashton Keyes, Wiltshire

On the 23rd of September 1919, John enlisted the Royal Garrison Artillery in Oxford.

At the time, he was 5'8, 128 lbs, described as having brown eyes, dark hair and a fresh complexion.

After training, he was sent out to Palestine on the 10th of January 1920 and then stopped at Alexandria and Malta. After arriving back and serving at home in early 1922, he was sent out to Constantinople (Modern day Istanbul) arriving on the 29th of September 1922 serving here until the 6th of September 1923. This coincided with the end of the Greco-Turkish war of 1919-1922 and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

After this, John served at home from 7/9/23 to 27/4/34. Next was Gibraltar from 28/4/34 to 20/9/35, Egypt 21/9/35 to 1/9/36 and back to Gibraltar until the 28th of January 1937 before being sent back home for service there.By this time, he had worked his way from Gunner to a Sergeant.

During his time in the ranks, he passed qualifications in 3rd, 2nd and 1st class education, Class A swimming and qualified as a signaller.

He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct medal (Sadly missing from the group) with Gratuity in 1938. He was posted to the 68th HAA Regiment as a Sergeant on the 9th of April and on the 1st of May 1938, he was promoted to Warrant Officer 2nd class being promoted to Warrant Officer 1st class and Acting Regimental Sergeant Major on the 1st of May 1939. Around this time he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and on with the second world war breaking out, he was promoted to War Substantive Regimental Sergeant Major on the 2nd of December 1939.

In 1940 he was recommended for officer training. His conduct was described as Exemplary and the testimonial is as follows: "A Warrant Officer (class 1) of the best type - well educated, efficient, reliable and a good disciplinarian. RSM Hawkins has a record of good service of which he can be justly proud. His work and conduct have been beyond reproach at all times and his energy, ability and trustworthiness have now been rewarded by his promotion to commissioned rank. His fine example merits the highest praise".

Once his officer training was complete, John left Liverpool as a Lieutenant on the 6th of Febuary 1941 and arrived at Durban on the 22nd of April 1941.From here, he travelled up to North Africa being seeing action in the Middle Eastern theatre. 

John was Captured on the 17th of July 1942 at El-Alamein and was confirmed as a prisoner on the 22nd of July. On the 15th of December 1942, John was Mentioned in Despatches presumably for his actions at El-Alamein.

From here, John was moved to Campo 21 at Chieti, an old monastery which had a particularly evil Fascist commandant who public beat to death a recaptured officer who had escaped the camp.

At the time of the Capitulation, the senior officer followed his orders and did not allow any prisoners to leave the camp, even posting his own officers as guards. The Germans unfortunately took over the camp. There were quite a few tunnels being dug from March 1943 and about 40/50 officers hid in these tunnels (for example, John Jenkins whose medals i own and are written about previously in this thread). Since John's service record confirms that he was entitled to the Italy star, he must have escaped the camp by hiding in the tunnel and emerging after the rest of the prisoners had been taken away on the trains. He might have been in the one of the parties who met the A Force agents and SAS/Para's who were sent to round up Ex-POW's or he might have joined Partisans and fought briefly with them. Either way, he found himself being recaptured and sent to Oflag 8F in Czechoslovakia. This camp was moved to Oflag 79 in Braunschwig in April 1944 and John went with them.

He was Liberated by the Allied forces on the 12th of April 1945 and jumped straight back into action serving for a month in North West Europe. From here he was sent back to the UK.

In 1953, now a Major, John was recommended for the Military Division M.B.E which was approved and awarded for the Coronation Honours on the 1st of June. The recommendation for the award is as follows;

"Major (Q.M) J.H.C Hawkins R.A, has been Quartermaster of 262 (M) H.A.A Regiment R.A (Territorial Army) since the reconstitution of the Territorial Army in 1947.

Throughout this period, he has shown a devotion to duty which far surpasses the requirements of his appointment. He has worked tirelessly and devoted by far the greater part of his leisure time to the affairs of his Regiment, particularly in regard to the social and welfare side. 

He has made it his business to extend his military knowledge to an astonishing extent and, not only is he a tower of strength to his own regiment, but in addition on many matters his counsel is sought by higher formations.

His ceaseless vigilance both on and off duty, the breadth of his knowledge, and the wisdom of his counsel have contributed more than any other single factor to the growing success of the Regiment throughout the period since it was reformed.

After thirty three years of service in the Regular Army, of which the last thirteen have been commissioned, Major Hawkins is shortly to retire. 

He has set for himself the highest possible standard of service, and i cannot praise too highly his achievements over the past years.

I strongly recommend the award of the M.B.E in recognition."

John Hawkins was clearly a very professional career soldier who must have had a lot of respect from his seniors and subordinates alike. He saw lots of the world as a soldier and must have endured many hardships during the war and his time as a prisoner.

I was very pleased to find his POW Mugshot picture and to notice he sported a very impressive moustache!

A nice write up on my great grandfather once a military man always one. He went on to many years running the TA in Derby. although the his generation of the family have strong links to Salcombe this is were they settled post army. His daughter my grandmother died recently. I think we have the missing medal and I will get you some more photos.