Ancestor Details
Ancestor's Name: John Martin Hawkey
Ancestor's date of birth: 12/10/1877
Ancestor's date of death: 16/06/1958
Cause of Death: Old Age
Service and Life Before the Boer War: Farmer, born Camden Park, Menangle, New South Wales, Birth Cert: 9843/1877.
Service Number: 81
Colony or State of enlistment: NSW, Place of Enlistment: Camden
Unit: A Squadron NSW Mounted Rifles
Rank attained in Boer War: SGT, Date Effective: C1898
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): LTCOL, Date Effective: 28/11/1936
Murray Page: 32
Contingent: First New South Wales
Ship: Aberdeen, Date of Sailing: 04/11/1899
Memorial details: Buried at Camden NSW.
Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Medal. Queen's South African Medal with five clasps. Military Cross (MC), Mention in Despatches (MID), British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Personal Characteristics: Height 177 cm, weight 71 kg (1916). Very good horseman. Attended Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee as a private soldier in 1897 and gave a stock whip display in the Queen's presence.
Reasons to go and fight: Duty
Details of service in war: December 1899 - December 1900 in north-west Cape Colony, Free State, and Transvaal. He had photos taken to be used in the construction of the Bathurst South African War Memorial. The photos have been lost but the Bathurst RSL have copies of them
Service and life after the Boer War: Married Ann Louisa Krinks 27 September 1905. Became a permanent soldier reaching the rank of Warrant Officer by 1916, he was living at Hurlstone Park NSW. Commissioned into 36 Bn AIF 12 April 1916. Served in 36 and 33 Bns at the Somme in France. Promoted captain 1 August 1916. Mentioned in dispatches 9 April 1917. Promoted major 1 November 1917. Awarded the Military Cross 1 January 1918. Returned to Australia 25 October 1919. He was promoted honorary major in the Permanent Military Forces 1 May 1920; transferred to the Australian Instructional Corps 14 April 1921; Area Officer 1 May 1920 to 15 February 1921; Adjutant 21st Light Horse 1 May 1921 to 30 September 1929; Adjutant and Quartermaster 53rd Infantry Battalion 1 October 1929 to 30 June 1930; Instructor, Australian Army Ordnance Corps, 2nd District Base, 15 October 1930 until retirement. Retired as honorary lieutenant colonel, Retired List, 28 November 1936. Died in 1958 at Camden, NSW Death Cert:12248/1958.
His sword and medals are still in the family and in the possession of his great Grand Son.
There is a complete record of his military service and copies of documents relating to his service at the Canberra War Memorial and can be sighted through the internet.
His great grand son has the original documents relating to such things as the awarding of the MC. Mention in dispatches His appearance at the Queen's Jubilee.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: John Rothwell Hawkey, Orange NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Grandson
