Hawker an Aussie?

27 December 1998, 09:30 PM

I was just going through my notes to help Cam in a previous thread and I came across this quote in the book "The Australian Flying Corps." by Cutlack.
In it he was listing Aussie pilots and at the very end of the paragraph I came across this.

"It is interesting to know that the famous Major L.G. Hawker, though born and bred in England, always, according to his brother, "considered himself an Australian," coming as he did from a family of distinguished South Australians."

Does anyone know what his connection to Australia was?

Regards,
Andrew

Darryl · 27 December 1998, 10:49 PM

"The junior branch of the family held commissions in the navy, the only break in this line being The Hon. G.C. Hawker, who migrated to Australia in 1840, servrd with distinction in parliment for 25 years and as Speaker in the House of Assembly.
Of his 16 children , Harry held a commission in the navy and in 1879 married Julia Gordon Lanoe."

"On retiring from the navy Harry Hawker settled in Longparish (England) where was born his fifth child, Lanoe."

From "Hawker VC". I have never heard it said he considered himself Australian, but I'll ask his niece next time I see her and see if she has.

29 December 1998, 12:34 PM

According to the (wholly inadequate) notes that I made when I had access to a copy of "Hawker, VC" by his brother LtCol Tyrrel Mann Hawker MC several years ago:
Their paternal grandfather the Hon G.C. Hawker went to Australia in 1840, spent 25 years in Parliament and was Speaker of the House of Assembly. He had 16 children, including Lanoe & Tyrrel's father Lieut Harry C. Hawker RN. One of the family (my notes are a jumble at this point), possibly Harry, served in the Boer War as a Trooper in the Australian Light Horse.

31 December 1998, 03:32 AM

Thanks Liz and Killratio,
I would be interested in Hawker's Neice's reply, and I wonder which brother was the source for the quote, the book that I got the quote from was first published in 1923

Andrew

31 December 1998, 05:02 AM

Andrew,

As a VC researcher with a collection of files on all of the recipients, I have one on Lanoe. In it is a copy of a letter from Chaz Bowyer (author of "The Air VCs) written in September '82, who states in answer to a similar question,

"As for

Lanoe Hawker VC 'considering himself an Australian etc' I'm afraid this was "author's licence" on the part of Cutlack ..."

He then goes on to quote the information verbatim as per your other two responses.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Cheers.

Darryl · 31 December 1998, 08:49 PM

Hi Andrew,
I spoke to Lanoe's niece new years eve. She said she had never heard of the theory that he considered himself Australian. In fact the family considered itself somewhat English. Tyrrell was not on speaking terms to her father and there is an oblique reference to this in Hawker VC where Tyrrell talks about funeral arrangements and "the head of the family IN ENGLAND" a grudging admittance to the Australian connection whilst not making it clear to those who don't know the set up!!!!!

As an aside, Lanoe's grandfather was in for a knighthood, but it took a while to go through channels as aparently he was quite fond of a "tipple". It was not awarded before he died but his widow was permitted the title of Knight's Lady.

Hope this helps, I really do believe this was total artistic licence on behalf of the author.

regards

Darryl