224966 Lt. Lionel Hope Hawkins British Army att. 6th Dragoon Guards Kings Dragoon Guards from:90 Drayton Gardens, London (d.31st Oct 1914) Lieutenant Lionel Hope Hawkins, of the 1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards, was attached to the 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) when he was killed during the fighting for Messines on 31st of October 1914. Captain P. M. A. Kerans, the Adjutant of the Carabiniers, wrote to the parents of Lieutenant Hawkins and described the circumstances in which their son had died:
“It appears that after the enemy had penetrated our line a party was observed by him approaching the trench which he held with his troop. He ordered fire to be opened on them, but they shouted – ‘Don’t fire, we are the Scottish,’ and he ordered his men to cease fire, and himself bravely, but incautiously, got out of his trench and went towards them. He had gone about 30 yards when the Germans – for it was the Germans and not the London Scottish – opened fire, and he was seen to fall. Two men went out and brought him back to the trench, and it was seen he was badly wounded in the right side. He was removed to a place of comparative safety, but died soon afterwards.â€
After Hawkins had died, it was reported that his body had been left by a fence on the edge of a wood by his soldiers, who were unable to carry him back any further as they were under fire and had been ordered to retire. They had covered him with a blanket before leaving. Lieutenant Hawkins was aged 28 when he was killed and was the son of Mr J. T. and Mrs M. H. Hawkins, who lived at 90 Drayton Gardens in London. Lieutenant Hawkins is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
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