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Royal Navy Survivors

Hawks, Fred

By April 11, 2014November 11th, 2020No Comments

Hawks, Fred: Ldg. Telegraphist, Survivor

Fred Hawks

Fred Hawks, HMS Carysfort

Hawks, F - Barnie - Laland R Wireless Telegraphy No1 Mess

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sole survivor of Dunedin’s wireless staff, Fred tried in vain to get off a signal when the ship was hit. The two men with him in the picture above are Richard Laland and Barnie (surname unknown). He recounted his story in a letter in 1942 to the mother of one of his telegraphist colleagues, Joe Jackson: 

Letter to Mr and Mrs Jackson 1942

Later, Fred’s wife wrote her own account to her grand-daughters, based on what Fred had told her. I am grateful to Gail Willox, Fred’s daughter, for making this available, below.