Regimental number | 188 |
Place of birth | Merewether, New South Wales |
School | Public School, Newcastle South, New South Wales |
Religion | Methodist |
Occupation | Labourer |
Address | Frederick Street, Merewether, Belmore, New South Wales |
Marital status | Single |
Age at embarkation | 20 |
Height | 5' 6.5" |
Weight | 140 lbs |
Next of kin | Mother, Mrs E Hawcroft, Frederick Street, Merewether, Belmore, New South Wales |
Previous military service | Served in the 16th Infantry, Citizen Military Forces; still serving at time of AIF enlistment. |
Enlistment date | |
Place of enlistment | Liverpool, New South Wales |
Rank on enlistment | Private |
Unit name | 30th Battalion, A Company |
AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/47/1 |
Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A72 Beltana on |
Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
Unit from Nominal Roll | 30th Battalion |
Other details from Roll of Honour Circular | Worked as a miner before the war started. |
Fate | Killed in Action |
Place of death or wounding | Fleurbaix, France (Battle of Fromelles) |
Age at death from cemetery records | 21 |
Place of burial | Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery (Plot II, Row C, Grave No 2), France |
Commemoration details | |
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 117 |
Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: Samuel and Elizabeth HAWCROFT |
Family/military connections | Cousin: served in England |
Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Embarked Sydney, 9 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 11 December 1915. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916. Reported missing, 20 July 1916. Note on file, 13 March 1917: 'Identification Disc received from Germany. No particulars were afforded, except that Soldier was deceased.' May now be reported "KILLED IN ACTION" 20/7/16.' German note on file: 'austr. Sold. Hawcroft. C.H. Nr. 166 (sic). 30 Batt. am 19.7.16 in Gegend Fromelles gefallen.' Red Cross File No 1290904 has statement from 187 Pte W.D. HURST, 30th Bn, 27 January 1917: 'He was in A Co. in which I am. He was in No. 2 pltn. and went over the parapet at 6 p.m. on the 19th. July at Fleurbaix. Hawcroft was killed in No Man's Land by a shell. He was not more than 10 yds. from me and was killed on the spot ... We held the ground for 12 hours only and the bodies of those killed were not buried.' 'This man's name appeared on German Death List dated 4-11-16.' Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner (Panel No 2), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2010) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France. |
Sources | NAA: B2455, HAWCROFT Charles Henry
Red Cross file 1290904 |