Tasmanian War Casualties

WW1

If you could spare a few dollars to help with the running costs of hosting this website to keep it alive would be very much appreciated.
Thankyou from Gravesites of Tasmania in advance.

Hawkins, William Cuthbert

Born 8^th July 1897 Hobart Tasmania to Robert John and Violet Mary Hawkins (nee Cuthbert) a wood turner who embarked Brisbane 29^th June 1915 on board “HMAT Aeneas” with the 26^th Infantry Battalion.

He was killed instantly 29^th July 1916 by a machine gun bullet near the German barbed wire at Pozieres and is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France.

A BRAVE TASMANIAN’S DEATH

Mrs R Hawkins of Lunawanna has received the following letter from Captain P H Cherry

“The trenches France December 16 1916

Dear Mrs Hawkins,

Is is with great sorrow I speak of your soldier son for he was killed in the Battle of Pozieres on July 28^th 1916. But even in your grief you can be one of the proudest mothers in Australia for your son was a hero in every detail. There in the middle of the battle, cool and determined, he fought on while the shelling was terrific and men were falling around him in dozens but on he went until he gained the line where it grieves me to say he was killed but rest assured if ever a man died a hero then your son was he. I have known your son for many months, in fact ever since he went into camp and he was a very good boy in every way and one which would be good for Australia if she could but place more men of his stamp in the field. The position of your son’s grave is just on the north side of Pozieres and it is marked by a plain little wooden cross bearing his name and unit. These graves of our heroes are well tended by the men who remain for we have now advanced far ahead of where this battle took place and should you ever wish to find it, remember it is just on the north side of what remains of the town of Pozieres. Just how your boy was killed I cannot say but one of his chums told me he was shot by a rifle and seen to fall into the enemy trench. His body was recovered the next day, among many of his comrades, and sent to the little burial ground at Pozieres. I am indeed sorry to say this is all the information I could collect concerning his death. Now, as the son of a mother I love dearly I would ask you not to grieve for I am sure your son would not want to see you sad, for even though you are parted on earth, you will meet again in Heaven where he awaits your coming, never to be parted again. And now goodbye as duty calls. May god help you to bear your sorrow in the knowledge that your son died a hero’s death and was respected by officers and men alike. Once again, I extend my deepest sympathy to yourself and Mr Hawkins. Believe me, Yours sincerely Percy H Cherry.”

The Weekly Courier 1^st March 1917

Please note that there might be information from other websites or brochures "reprinted" here- under the laws of "fair use". In every instance -we hope- we have provided a direct link to the owners web site. We do not claim rights or ownership to any of their information. We do thank them sincerely for their efforts. We have in every instance made a good faith effort to contact and request 'reprint' permission. Nonetheless, we do want to be certain that nothing gets lost due to web site disappearance and the like, so it appears duplicated here.

Tasmanian War Casualties, Honouring the past, building understanding.