- Arundel Street, 11A, Fremantle WA 6160
- Arundel Street, 11B, Fremantle WA 6160
- Solomon Street, 3, Fremantle WA 6160
- Wesley Street, 20, South Fremantle WA 6162
- HOUSE, 16 LEFROY ROAD, SOUTH FREMANTLE WA 6162
- Gold Street, 13, South Fremantle WA 6162
- Queen Victoria Street, 23, Fremantle WA 6160
- Marine Terrace, 132, South Fremantle WA 6162
Hawkins, John Edward
3392 Private John Edward Hawkins - 51st Battalion & 3rd Motor Transport Company AIF
John Edward Hawkins was born in Fremantle WA on the 6th December 1892 to Frederick and Bridget Hawkins, being one of three siblings, with Herbert 1895 and Maria 1896. The family was then living in Church Street Fremantle before moving to Arundel Street.
He grew up and was educated in Fremantle. After leaving school he took up work as a horse driver then changed to the newly emerging motor vehicles and became a motor driver.
In 1912 John married Norah Mary Magdeline Toots Heron and they would have the following children, Daniel 1911, John 1912, George 1914; Albert 1915 and James 1917.
Prior to his enlistment in 1916 the family were living at "Chatwyn" on Canning Road East Fremantle.
On the 30th August 1916 John enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in Fremantle. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 6 feet & 3/4 inches tall;
Weight - 179lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Hazel;
Hair - Light Brown.
Upon his successful enlistment, John was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.87 Training Depot. He spent a week here being taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 16th October 1916 he was then assigned to the 23rd Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. He remained training with this group for the next few months but in January 1917 was transferred to the 9th Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion AIF.
On the 29th January 1917 John and his group then entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the troopship HMAT Miltiades. The ship then set sail for England, reaching Devonport Harbour on the 27th March 1917.
John and his group were then disembarked and sent to the 13th Training Battalion at Codford Camp on the Salisbury Plains. He trained here for the next three months and on the 25th June 1917 was sent across to France. John then had a couple of weeks at the 4th Australian Division Base Depot at Le Havre. He then joined the 51st Battalion on the 15th July 1917.
The 51st Battalion were then serving on the Messines battlefield in Belgium. They would be in this sector till the end of August 1917. In September 1917 the 51st Battalion moved to Ypres in Belgium to take part in the current offensive taking place there.
On the 22nd September 1917, John left the Battalion lines and absented himself from the unit. He was not picked up by the Military Police until the 10th November 1917. He was then placed in custody to await a Field Court Martial.
On the 4th December 1917 he was tried for deserting and though he pleaded not guilty he was found guilty. John was fortunate that the AIF did not have the death penalty but he was sentenced to ten years hard labour. He was sent to No.10 Military prison in Dunkirk to begin his sentence.
On the 27th January 1918 his sentence of ten years was reduced to two years indentured hard labour. s it turned out, with the Armistice on the 11th November 1918, John would just end up serving one year in prison. On the 1st January 1919 he was released and sent to the Australian Base Depot Camp at Le Havre.
John rejoined the 51st Battalion on the 9th January 1919, but only stayed with them for two weeks as he was then transferred to the 4th Motor Transport Company. He had a few days with this unit and was appointed to Driver. He was then transferred to No.6 Motor Transport Company on the 31st January 1919.
On the 6th March 1918 John was detached for duty with the 5th Broad Guage Railway Operating Company, however he rejoined the 6th Motor Transport Company on the 28th April 1919. He worked with his unit for another month but on the 24th May 1919 was transferred to No.3 Motor Transport Company.
On the 18th June 1919 John then returned to England and was sent to No.2 Group Camp at Sutton Veny. He would remain here while waiting to be assigned a berth on a troopship home. On the 18th July 1919 John boarded the transport ship Takada and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 4th September 1919.
John was discharged from the AIF on the 23rd September 1919.
During his absence the family had moved to North Fremantle and it was there that he rejoined them.
John and Norah would soon have more children, Eileen in 1920, Richard 1922 and Jack.
John's mother died in Fremantle in May 1921
He was employed as a Horse Driver and Motor Driver and lived in a few different places in Fremantle over the next forty years.
In 1922 they were living at 15 George Street Fremantle (renamed to 13 Gold Street). In 1925 they moved to 110 Lefroy Rd (later renumbered to 16 Lefroy)
By 1931 they were living at 28 Wesley Street South Fremantle.
His father died in Fremantle 11th October 1934.
In 1937 the family had moved to 3 Mary Street Fremantle (later renamed to Solomon Street). In the 1940's they moved to 23 Queen Victoria Street Fremantle and were there till the 1950's when they moved to 1 Gordon St East Fremantle.
They made their final move in the 1960's to 132 Marine Terrace Fremantle.
Norah Hawkins died in 1964 and John aged 75 on the 6th May 1967. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.