John Hawkesworth (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir John Ledlie Inglis Hawkesworth, KBE, CB, DSO
and Bar
(19 February 1893 – 3 June 1945) was an officer in the British Army
during World War I
and World War II
.
, Cumberland
from 1907–1912, where he excelled at rugby
, playing in the School XV in 1911–1912. One of his team-mates was G.A. West
, later Bishop of Rangoon
. He then went up to the Queen's College, Oxford
to read Modern History, at which he served in the Special Reserve.
He joined the unattached list of the Territorial Reserve on 23 January 1914 before being gazetted second lieutenant
in the East Yorkshire Regiment
on 15 August 1914. He served during the First World War with the 3rd Battalion East Yorkshires, and was wounded three times. In 1919 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
and in 1921 was awarded the Croix de guerre
by the French
and also the Belgian War Cross.
between 1927 and 1929, his graduation entitling him to use the post-nominals "psc" after his name. He served as a staff captain at the War Office
from 1920–1923, before being appointed Deputy Assistant to the Military Secretary
1923–1924. He served as Brigade Major of the 15th Infantry Brigade from 1930–1932, before becoming Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General on the staff of Northern Command until 1934. He was on the directing staff of the Staff College, Camberley as a General Staff Officer, Second Grade from 1934–1937 and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, becoming a General Staff Officer, First Grade in 1937. On promotion he commanded 2nd battalion The East Yorkshire Regiment and was mentioned in dispatches
for service in Palestine.
's 12th Infantry Brigade with the British Expeditionary Force
in France. He commanded the brigade through the Battle of France
finally evacuating it from Dunkirk at the end of May 1940, leaving France himself on 1 June. In August he was made CBE
and was also mentioned in dispatches
for his service in France. In December he was appointed Director of Military Training at the War Office in the acting rank of Major-General in which role he was responsible for general military training for other ranks at a time when the army was growing rapidly.
In March 1942 Hawkesworth was appointed to command 4th Infantry Division shortly after which a tank brigade was substituted for one of the three infantry brigades to create a "mixed" division. In the New Year honours list of 1943 he was appointed Companion of the Bath (CB)
. Hawkesworth landed with 4th Infantry Division in Algeria in March 1943 and took part in the Tunisia Campaign
until the fighting ended in May. For his service in Tunisia Hawkesworth was awarded the DSO
.
4th Division was rested for the Sicilian campaign but in August 1943 Hawkesworth took over command of 46th (North Midland) Division which took part in the amphibious landings at Salerno
during the Italian Campaign
as part of U.S. Fifth Army's British X Corps
. After the capture of Naples
X Corps formed the left flank of the Fifth Army's advance to the Winter Line
. During the first Battle of Monte Cassino
in January 1944 the division made an assault crossing of the river Garigliano. Lack of assault boats and heavy German resistance condemned it to failure. In March the division was withdrawn to Egypt and Palestine to refit.
In May 1944 Hawkesworth spent a month in temporary command of 1st Infantry Division in the Anzio beachhead
when the regular commander Major-General William Penney fell ill. By July he was back in Italy with 46th Division as part of Eighth Army
's V Corps
on the Adriatic coast
. The division was involved in heavy fighting during Operation Olive, the 8th Army's major assault on the Gothic Line
defences in September and October.
In November 1944 Hawkesworth was promoted to command X Corps
when his predecessor, Richard McCreery
, moved to take command of Eighth Army
. When the Axis forces withdrew from Greece, from October British troops under Lieutenant-General Ronald Scobie
were sent there to maintain internal stability. In late 1944 Hawkesworth and X Corps HQ were sent to Greece to assume control of military operations so that Scobie could concentrate more on the highly complex and sensitive political aspects of the British involvement.
By March 1945 Hawkesworth and his HQ had returned to Italy. X Corps was in a reserve role and not involved in the Allies' final offensive
in April 1945 which led to the surrender of Axis forces in Italy in early May.
By this time it had become apparent that Hawkesworth was suffering from a serious heart condition. He died on the way home to Britain, when he suffered a heart attack while on board his troopship which lay at Gibraltar
, on 3 June 1945 at the age of fifty-two.
For his services in Italy he was awarded a second DSO and the United States
Legion of Merit
, Degree of Commander. He had also been mentioned in despatches in August 1944 for his services in the Italy theatre.
. On 10 August, Mark Clark, commander of the U.S. Fifth Army at Salerno and later commader of all Allied ground forces in Italy sent a tribute from his headquarters in Vienna
mourning the "loss of a most highly-valued friendship to his many comrades-in-arms in the Mediterranean theatre…We shall not forget General Hawkesworth, and England has our eternal gratitude for producing men of his staunch integrity and character." Britain's post-war army had been deprived of a popular and able commander.
|-
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(19 February 1893 – 3 June 1945) was an officer in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early life and career
Hawkesworth was born on 19 February 1893. He was educated at St. Bees SchoolSt. Bees School
St. Bees School is a co-educational independent school in the West Cumbrian village of St Bees. Founded in 1583 by the then Archbishop of Canterbury Edmund Grindal as a boys' "free grammar school", today it is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference with around 300 pupils aged...
, Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
from 1907–1912, where he excelled at rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, playing in the School XV in 1911–1912. One of his team-mates was G.A. West
George Algernon West
George Algernon West, MM was a British Anglican missionary who spent many years in Burma, first as a missionary for the Society for Propagation of the Gospel and then as the Lord Bishop of Rangoon. In the latter position he served for nineteen years, and gradually became active involved with the...
, later Bishop of Rangoon
Bishop of Rangoon
The Lord Bishop of Rangoon was the Anglican bishop responsible for the diocese of Rangoon in the province of Calcutta from 1877 to 1970. Beforehand British Burma, then part of the Indian Empire, had come under the guidance of the Bishop of Calcutta, Metropolitan of India...
. He then went up to the Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
to read Modern History, at which he served in the Special Reserve.
He joined the unattached list of the Territorial Reserve on 23 January 1914 before being gazetted second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the East Yorkshire Regiment
East Yorkshire Regiment
The East Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated with the West Yorkshire Regiment , becoming The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of...
on 15 August 1914. He served during the First World War with the 3rd Battalion East Yorkshires, and was wounded three times. In 1919 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
and in 1921 was awarded the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and also the Belgian War Cross.
Between the World Wars
He remained in the army after the war holding various junior regimental and staff postings until attending the Staff College, CamberleyStaff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
between 1927 and 1929, his graduation entitling him to use the post-nominals "psc" after his name. He served as a staff captain at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
from 1920–1923, before being appointed Deputy Assistant to the Military Secretary
Military Secretary
The Military Secretary is the British Army appointment of which the incumbent is responsible for policy direction on personnel management for members of the British Army. It is a senior British Army appointment, held by an officer holding the rank of Major-General. The Military Secretary's...
1923–1924. He served as Brigade Major of the 15th Infantry Brigade from 1930–1932, before becoming Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General on the staff of Northern Command until 1934. He was on the directing staff of the Staff College, Camberley as a General Staff Officer, Second Grade from 1934–1937 and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, becoming a General Staff Officer, First Grade in 1937. On promotion he commanded 2nd battalion The East Yorkshire Regiment and was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
for service in Palestine.
World War II
In October 1939 Hawkesworth was given command of 4th Infantry Division4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
's 12th Infantry Brigade with the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
in France. He commanded the brigade through the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
finally evacuating it from Dunkirk at the end of May 1940, leaving France himself on 1 June. In August he was made CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
and was also mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
for his service in France. In December he was appointed Director of Military Training at the War Office in the acting rank of Major-General in which role he was responsible for general military training for other ranks at a time when the army was growing rapidly.
In March 1942 Hawkesworth was appointed to command 4th Infantry Division shortly after which a tank brigade was substituted for one of the three infantry brigades to create a "mixed" division. In the New Year honours list of 1943 he was appointed Companion of the Bath (CB)
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. Hawkesworth landed with 4th Infantry Division in Algeria in March 1943 and took part in the Tunisia Campaign
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
until the fighting ended in May. For his service in Tunisia Hawkesworth was awarded the DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
.
4th Division was rested for the Sicilian campaign but in August 1943 Hawkesworth took over command of 46th (North Midland) Division which took part in the amphibious landings at Salerno
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
during the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
as part of U.S. Fifth Army's British X Corps
X Corps (United Kingdom)
The X Corps was a British Army formation in the First World War and was later reformed in 1942 during the North African campaign of the Second World War as part of the Eighth Army.- First World War :...
. After the capture of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
X Corps formed the left flank of the Fifth Army's advance to the Winter Line
Winter Line
The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. The primary Gustav Line ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the...
. During the first Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
in January 1944 the division made an assault crossing of the river Garigliano. Lack of assault boats and heavy German resistance condemned it to failure. In March the division was withdrawn to Egypt and Palestine to refit.
In May 1944 Hawkesworth spent a month in temporary command of 1st Infantry Division in the Anzio beachhead
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
when the regular commander Major-General William Penney fell ill. By July he was back in Italy with 46th Division as part of Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
's V Corps
V Corps (United Kingdom)
V Corps was an army corps of the British Army in both the First and Second World War. It was first organised in February 1915 and fought through World War I on the Western front...
on the Adriatic coast
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. The division was involved in heavy fighting during Operation Olive, the 8th Army's major assault on the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
defences in September and October.
In November 1944 Hawkesworth was promoted to command X Corps
X Corps (United Kingdom)
The X Corps was a British Army formation in the First World War and was later reformed in 1942 during the North African campaign of the Second World War as part of the Eighth Army.- First World War :...
when his predecessor, Richard McCreery
Richard McCreery
General Sir Richard Loudon McCreery GCB, KBE, DSO, MC , was a British career soldier, who was Chief of Staff to Field Marshal Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, at the time of the Second Battle of El Alamein and later commanded the British Eighth Army in Northern Italy during...
, moved to take command of Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
. When the Axis forces withdrew from Greece, from October British troops under Lieutenant-General Ronald Scobie
Ronald Scobie
Lieutenant-General Sir Ronald MacKenzie Scobie KBE, CB, MC was a British Army officer who commanded III Corps.-Military career:...
were sent there to maintain internal stability. In late 1944 Hawkesworth and X Corps HQ were sent to Greece to assume control of military operations so that Scobie could concentrate more on the highly complex and sensitive political aspects of the British involvement.
By March 1945 Hawkesworth and his HQ had returned to Italy. X Corps was in a reserve role and not involved in the Allies' final offensive
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain which started on 6 April 1945 and ended on 2 May with the surrender of German forces in Italy....
in April 1945 which led to the surrender of Axis forces in Italy in early May.
By this time it had become apparent that Hawkesworth was suffering from a serious heart condition. He died on the way home to Britain, when he suffered a heart attack while on board his troopship which lay at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, on 3 June 1945 at the age of fifty-two.
For his services in Italy he was awarded a second DSO and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
, Degree of Commander. He had also been mentioned in despatches in August 1944 for his services in the Italy theatre.
End note
He left his wife, Helen Jane, and an only son, also named John, who at the time was also serving with the Grenadier GuardsGrenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
. On 10 August, Mark Clark, commander of the U.S. Fifth Army at Salerno and later commader of all Allied ground forces in Italy sent a tribute from his headquarters in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
mourning the "loss of a most highly-valued friendship to his many comrades-in-arms in the Mediterranean theatre…We shall not forget General Hawkesworth, and England has our eternal gratitude for producing men of his staunch integrity and character." Britain's post-war army had been deprived of a popular and able commander.
Army career
- Commissioned East Yorkshire RegimentEast Yorkshire RegimentThe East Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated with the West Yorkshire Regiment , becoming The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of...
, 1914 - Brigade Major 15th Infantry Brigade, General Staff Northern Command 1930 – 1932
- Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General, Northern Command 1932 – 1934
- GSO2 at Staff College, CamberleyStaff College, CamberleyStaff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
1934 – 1937 - Commander 2nd battalion The East Yorkshire RegimentEast Yorkshire RegimentThe East Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated with the West Yorkshire Regiment , becoming The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of...
, Palestine 1937 – 1939 - Commander 12th Infantry Brigade, France 1939 – 1940
- Director of Military Training, War Office 1940 – 1942
- GOC-in-C 4th Infantry Division4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
, North Africa 1942 – 1943 - GOC-in-C 46th (North Midland) Division, Italy 1943 – 1944
- GOC-in-C (T) 1st Infantry Division, Italy 1944
- GOC-in-C 46th (North Midland) Infantry Division, Italy 1944
- GOC-in-C X CorpsX Corps (United Kingdom)The X Corps was a British Army formation in the First World War and was later reformed in 1942 during the North African campaign of the Second World War as part of the Eighth Army.- First World War :...
, Italy – Greece 1944 - GOC-in-C Military Command Athens, Greece 1944 – 1945
External links
|-