HAWKER, Clarence West Erskine (1888-1972)
Clarence Hawker was born on 7 February 1888 at Largs Bay, South Australia, the son of Major James Clarence Hawker and Agnes Maud nee Phillips He was enrolled at Geelong College in 1905. His address at enrolment was RAAA, Queenscliff.
He was living at St Elmo, Kensington Road, South Yarra, and working as a farmer and orchardist at the time of his enlistment (No 93) on 14 October 1914. He embarked from Melbourne on HMAT A26 Armadale on 20 October 1914 with 1st Australian Reserve Park (10th Company, Australian Service Corps), and was on active service for twenty-one months, serving throughout the Gallipoli operations.
He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 May 1916, and transferred to the 5th Divisional Train, BEF, from Alexandria, embarking on 20 June 1916 for France. There he was admitted to 2nd Red Cross Hospital, suffering bronchitis, on 11 January 1917. He was evacuated to England on HS St Patrick on 13 January, and returned to France on 26 March. He took Paris leave in May 1917, and leave to England in November 1917. Clarence Hawker returned to Australia on HMT Ascanius, embarking on 9 February 1919.
In 1919, he married Effie Beattie in Sydney, New South Wales.
Clarence Hawker died on the 28 November 1972 and is buried at Kincumber, New South Wales.
His brother, Godfrey Carew Harvey (1890-1980) was also educated at Geelong College
Sources: (NSW bdm 6373/1919); Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. p 208 (citing Pegasus; National Archives).