| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Ernest Richard Hawes was born in Bishop Burton on 17 Sep 1895, the fifth son of George and Emma Hawes. He also had three older sisters. His father was a gardener at the Hall, Bishop Burton at the time of his birth. Ernest was baptised at the All Saints Church, Bishop Burton 27 Oct 1895. At the age of 15 Ernest was employed as a servant (farm worker) to John Dunn of Hind House, Carr Lane, Lockington.
Ernest joined the Army Service Corps as a Driver, he was attached to the East Lancashire Division, the units were nown as the Divisonal Train. The Divisional Train undertook various logistics roles such as carrying stores and supplies, transporting men and materials of the unit to which they were attached, including the wounded in ambulances.
Various units of the East Lancashire Division were engaged in defending the Suez Canal against the Turks in early 1915. The Medal Rolls Index Card for T4/061320 Driver Ernest Richard Hawes shows that he joined the Division in Egypt on 27 Apr 1915.
The East Lancashire Division moved from the Suez Canal area to Gallipoli in the first week of May 1915 and by mid August was down to approximately one third of its normal establishment, through battle casualties and sickness. Patients that required evacuation were moved to Casualty Clearing Stations on or near beaches to await transportation to a hospital ship. It is possible that Driver Ernest Richard Hawes was either one of these casualties or was helping in the transportation of the casualties when he died and was buried at sea on 25 Aug 1915.
Ernest is commemorated at the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Canakkale, Turkey - Panel 199 or 233 to 236 and 331.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |