HAWKES, William Dick


'Semper paratus'..Always Prepared



No.145836, Pilot Officer (Pilot) William Dick HAWKES
Aged 26


207 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Killed in Action on Thursday, 13th May 1943


William Dick Hawkes was born in Swaffham Prior on 5th November 1916 (Newmarket Q4-1916 3B:746), son of Charles Peter and Ethel May HAWKES (née MILLARD).

He attended Soham Grammar School from 1928 to 1931.

In the 1939 register, at 6 Mill Hill, Swaffham Prior, were his father Charles P [23-4-1879] rate and rent collector; his mother Ethel M [2-2-1887]; sister Joan [7-12-1911] later LEESON and brother William D [5-11-1916] clerk County Account. Also Betty I WOLFE [25-5-1927] later GIBBS, presumed to be an evacuee. There is one closed record


above in 1929 at Soham Grammar School
below his Royal Aero Club, Aviator's Certificate





Avro Lancaster Mk 1 with suitable cosmetic re-touching


Avro Lancaster Mk I, ser.no.ED418, c/s EM-G of 207 Squadron took off from RAF Langar near Nottingham at 00:17 on 13th May 1943, on a bombing raid on Duisburg. Carrying a 1,000 bomb plus incendiaries. They were attacked by Ju 88 night fighters over Apeldoorn and at 01:40 were hit and had to abort their mission. Turning back they were again attacked at low level over Hilversum. At 02:05 they were hit again, this time the aircraft, with its bomb load, exploded in mid air. There were no survivors.

The crew were:- Pilot Officer William Dick Hawkes RAFVR - Pilot, 26; Sgt Edward Stanley Tompkins RAFVR - Flight Engineer, 21; Sgt George Robert Nipper RAFVR - Bomb Aimer, 28; Sgt Arthur Wilson Whiteoak RAFVR - Navigator, 32*; WO2 William Archibald McNair RCAF - Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, 20; Flt Lt Albert Douglas Coldicott DFM RAF - Air Gunner, 23; Sgt Joe Smith RAFVR - Air Gunner, 26; Sgt Hugh Robert Dick RAFVR - 2nd Navigator, 22*

A remarkably full story can be seen here



William Hawkes is buried in Amersfoort (Old Leusden) General Cemetery, Netherlands, grave 13:6:109
and commemorated on the Roll of Honour of Soham Grammar School.

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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