Name
William James Hawkins (DCM)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/11/1919
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Company Sergeant-Major
700745
London Regiment *1
23rd (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Distinguished Conduct Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
WATFORD CEMETERY
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance, Not on the Watford Grammar School Memorial, Watford, Not on the Aldenham memorials
Pre War
Son of Alfred and Clara Ann (nee LANGFORD) HAWKINS.
His parents married 1890 in the Marylebone, London district. Alfred died 1919 in the Watford district aged 54; Clara died 21 March 1952 in St Alban’s aged 82.
William was born 1895 in Aldenham, Herts, and attended Watford Grammar School from September 1907. He was buried 18 November in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
On the 1901 Census, aged 5 he lived in Aldenham, with his parents and two siblings. On the 1911 Census, at school aged 15, he lived in Garston, Herts, with his parents and two siblings.
Wartime Service
He enlisted 17 September 1914 for four years at Clapham Junction, London; his next-of-kin was his father of St Alban’s, Herts.
He served at Home until 13 March 1915, in France from 14 March 1915, embarking at Southampton, until 26 December 1916, during which time he was an unpaid Lance-Corporal from 13 November 1915 and then paid Lance-Corporal from 18 December 1915. Promoted to Corporal 11 March 1916 and unpaid Lance-Sergeant from 27 July 1916. Promoted to Sergeant 10 November 1916, and suffered a gun shot wound 7 December 1916, was at the 3rd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station from 16 to 26 December 1916 when he returned to England, where he served until 21 January 1918. Back to France 22 January 1918, transferred to the Middlesex Regiment 28 January 1918, posted to the 1/19th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (St Pancras) number 625113, and posted to the 23rd Battalion London Regiment 15 April 1918, where he resumed his original number. Promoted Warrant Officer Class II 28 September 1918, suffered from influenza from 9 November 1918, and served at Home from 13 January 1919. Was discharged 4 February 1919, his address was in Watford, and was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914-15 Star medals, his qualifying date being 14 March 1915.
However, according to the Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance, a William James HAWKINS was a Company Sergeant-Major in the 23rd (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment, number 700745, who died of gas-consumption at the Military Sanatorium, Ware, Herts, on 15 November 1919, aged 24.
Additional Information
There is no trace of a W J HAWKINS in the CWGC dataset or in Soldiers Died in the Great War . Although listed in the Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance, his name is not included in the In Memoriam list at the front of the book. Also, although buried in Vicarage Road Cemetery, he does not appear on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's list of burials.
The published Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance entry reads: “HAWKINS, WILLIAM JAMES. School period: September, 1907, to July, 1911. Company Sergeant-Major, 23rd London Regiment. France. Awarded D.C.M. [Has since died of gas-consumption at Military Sanatorium, Ware, 15th November, 1919.]”
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London) Bn. London Regiment.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
