HAWLEY, John Michael
| Service Number: | 733 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Machine Gun Company |
| Born: | Not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Rockhampton, Rockhampton, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Accidental (Drowning), At Sea, United Kingdom, 18 August 1917, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Gracemere Roll of Honour, Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, Kabra Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Jun 1917: | Involvement Private, 733, 3rd Machine Gun Company, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 1917: | Embarked Private, 733, 3rd Machine Gun Company, HMAT Suevic, Melbourne | |
| 18 Aug 1917: | Involvement Sergeant, 733, 3rd Machine Gun Company, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 733 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Machine Gun Company awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1917-08-18 |
Help us honour John Michael Hawley's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 18th August…… John Michael Hawley was born at Burketown, Queensland on 20th January, 1889.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 20th June, 1916 as a 28 year old, single, Accountant from Stanwell, Queensland.
Private John Michael Hawley, Service number 733, was posted to Depot in Queensland on 26th May, 1916 for recruit training & transferred to Corporals School, Queensland from 7th August, 1916.
He passed an Examination for the Rank of Corporal at the Corporals School Rifle Range Camp at Enoggera on 23rd September, 1916 with the standard passed -Good.
From 30th September, 1916 Corporal Hawley attended Sergeants School in Queensland. He passed an Examination for the rank of Sergeant at Enoggera on 25th October, 1916 with the standard passed – Fair.
Sergeant Hawley was transferred to 12th Reinforcements of 31st Battalion from 31st October, 1916 then transferred to 11th Depot Battalion, Queensland from 20th February, 1917. Sergeant Hawley was transferred to 14th Reinforcements of 31st Depot Battalion, Queensland from 5th March, 1917 then transferred to Machine Gun Depot at Seymour, Victoria from 29th March, 1917.
He was admitted to Seymour Clearing Hospital, Victoria on 21st May, 1917 with Parotitis. He was transferred to Isolation Camp, Ascot Vale, Victoria on 22nd May, 1917 then transferred the same day & admitted to No. 5 Australian General Hospital with Impacted wisdom tooth with abscess. Sergeant Hawley was transferred to No. 14 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Macleod, Victoria on 5th June, 1917 then transferred to Macleod Rest Camp from 13th June, 1917 to 19th June, 1917.
On 21st June, 1917 Sergeant Hawley was transferred to 13th Reinforcements of 3rd Machine Gun Company with the rank of Corporal.
Private (rank as per Embarkation Roll) John Michael Hawley embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Suevic (A29) on 21st June, 1917 with the 3rd Machine Gun Company, 13th Reinforcements. He was promoted as Acting Voyage Only Sergeant on 21st June, 1917.
Acting Voyage Only Sergeant John Michael Hawley was reported missing on 18th August, 1917 from HMAT Suevic (A29) while at Sea.
A Court of Enquiry was held at Sea on HMAT Suevic (A29) on 18th August, 1917 for the purpose of enquiring into and reporting on absence of 733 A/ V. O. Sergeant John Michael Hawley of 13th Reinforcements of 3rd Machine Gun Company.
(See full research for Court of Enquiry witness statements)
The Court of Enquiry found that Acting Voyage Only Sergeant John Michael Hawley had died at about 4.30 am on 18th August, 1917 having overbalanced & fallen overboard from Suevic whilst on the voyage from Sierra Leone to London, England. The ship was 5 days out from shore & there were no ships following. Acting Voyage Only Sergeant John Michael Hawley was found to have died as a result of having “drowned at sea” accidentally from HMAT Suevic (A29).
Official finding from The Court of Enquiry: “The Court are of the opinion that Sgt Hawley overbalanced & fell overboard 18-8-17 & owing to the position at which the accident occurred, consider it almost certain that he must have been drawn under the propellers.”
According to information provided by his mother for the Roll of Honour – John Michael Hawley was a “Native of North Queensland, drowned after leaving Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone last place he saw land, first place he saw snow.”
He is commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, Hampshire, England as he has no grave. His death is acknowledged by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/g---j.html
Click images to start slideshow.