Search our records : Charles William Hawker

Surname: Hawker
Forename(s): Charles William
Service Number: DA15237
Date of Birth: 16th September 1881
Force: Royal Naval Reserve
Unit: HMS Attentive
Date of Death: 31st October 1964
Civilian Occupation: Bricklayer
Parents: John and Mary Hawker
Home address: Vicarage Lane, Branscombe, Devon

Charles Hawker was born in Beer on 16th September 1881, the son of John Hawker, a gardener, and his wife Mary.  Charles’s father was born in Beer, but his mother came originally from Uplyme. 

Charles joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 3rd March 1905, at which point he was living in Vicarage Lane, Branscombe.  His RNR record describes him as 5ft 6 ¾ ins tall, with a fresh complexion and blue eyes.

On 8th May 1905 Charles married Edith Perry in Branscombe, and at the time of the 1911 census they were still living there, with Charles working as bricklayer, while Edith was a lacemaker.  From 1910 Charles is recorded by the RNR as fishing from Branscombe on a boat called Hope (E186), so he may have divided his time between fishing and bricklaying.

Charles was called up on 3rd March 1917, and joined HMS White Oak the following month.  White Oak was a steam drifter, operating out of Poole as part of the Auxiliary Patrol. 

In January 1918 Charles moved to HMS Attentive, a light cruiser which formed part of the Dover Patrol.  In April that year Attentive took part in the Zeebrugge Raid, and in June sailed to Murmansk in northern Russia to support the ‘White Russian’ army fighting against the Bolsheviks.  Attentive also took part in the capture of Modjugski Island near Archangel and other operations involving landing field guns and shore parties to support the White Russians.

In October 1918 Attentive returned to the UK, and was at Portsmouth when the war ended on 11th November. 

Charles was demobilised on 3rd January 1919.  He died on 31st October 1964, aged 83.