1911 Census (Oakley, Ref 018)
Name Ellic George Hawes
Address: Oakley, Bucks
Building Grocer’s Shop
Age: 17
Born 1894, Oakley Bucks
Status Single
Relationship to head Son
Occupation Assisting in the business (Grocer)
Other people on census
Father (Head): George Hawes (57, married, occupation Grocer / Shopkeeper, born 1854, Oakley, Bucks
Mother: Jane Hawes (55, married (for 31 years, 9 children, 8 alive, 1 died), born 1856, Oakley, Bucks)
Brother: William James Hawes (15, single, occupation Assisting in the business (Grocer), born 1896, Oakley, Bucks)
1901 Census (Oakley, ref 051)
Name Helec G. Hawes (Ellic G. Hawes)
Address: In the village
Age: 7
Born 1894, Oakley, Bucks
Other people on census
Father (Head): George Hawes (47, born 1854, Oakley, Bucks; married, occupation Farmer/smallholding)
Mother: Jane Hawes (45, born 1856, Little London, Bucks, married, occupation Grocer/Shopkeeper)
Brothers: William James Hawes (4, born 1897 Oakley Bucks)
Sisters: Leah R. Hawes (11, born 1890, Oakley, Bucks)
1891 Census (Oakley, ref 065)
Address: In the Village
Other people on census
Father (Head): George Hawes (38, born 1853 Oakley Bucks; married; occupation Grocer and Farmer)
Mother: Jane Hawes (35, married; birth 1856, Brill, Bucks
Sisters: Sarah Hawes (10, born 1881, Scholar, Oakley, Bucks)
Elsie Hawes (8, born 1883, Scholar, Oakley, Bucks)
Libia Hawes (7, born 1884, Scholar, Oakley, Bucks)
Salome Hawes (4, born 1887, Oakley, Bucks)
Helen Hawes (3, born 1888, Oakley, Bucks)
Leah R. Hawes (1, born 1890, Oakley, Bucks)
1881 Census (Oakley, ref 034)
Address: Centre of the Village
Other people on census
Father (Head): George Hawes (27, born 1854 Oakley Bucks; married; occupation Labourer)
Mother: Jane Hawes (25, married; birth 1856, Brill, Bucks
Sisters: Sarah Hawes (10 months, born 1880,Oakley, Bucks)
DOIRAN MEMORIAL
Country: Greece
Identified Casualties: ,2171
Location Information: The Doiran Memorial stands near Doiran Military Cemetery, which is situated in the north of Greece close to the Macedonia border and near the south-east shore of Lake Doiran. The Memorial stands on what was called Colonial Hill, and can be seen from a distance and is a landmark.
Historical Information
The DOIRAN MEMORIAL stands roughly in the centre of the line occupied for two years by the Allies in Macedonia, but close to the western end, which was held by Commonwealth forces. It marks the scene of the fierce fighting of 1917-1918, which caused the majority of the Commonwealth battle casualties.
From October 1915 to the end of November 1918, the British Salonika Force suffered some 2,800 deaths in action, 1,400 from wounds and 4,200 from sickness. The campaign afforded few successes for the Allies, and none of any importance until the last two months. The action of the Commonwealth force was hampered throughout by widespread and unavoidable sickness and by continual diplomatic and personal differences with neutrals or Allies. On one front there was a wide malarial river valley and on the other, difficult mountain ranges, and many of the roads and railways it required had to be specially constructed.
The memorial serves the dual purpose of Battle Memorial of the British Salonika Force (for which a large sum of money was subscribed by the officers and men of that force), and place of commemoration for more than 2,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died in Macedonia and whose graves are not known.
The memorial was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer with sculpture by Walter Gilbert. It was unveiled by Sir George Macdonogh on 25 September 1926.
The memorial stands near DOIRAN MILITARY CEMETERY. The cemetery (originally known as Colonial Hill Cemetery No.2) was formed at the end of 1916 as a cemetery for the Doiran front. The graves are almost entirely those of officers and men of the 22nd and 26th Divisions and largely reflect the fighting of April and May 1917 (the attacks on the Petit-Couronne), and 18-19 September 1918 (the attacks on Pip Ridge and the Grand-Couronne). In October and November 1918, after the final advance, a few burials were added by the 25th Casualty Clearing Station.
After the Armistice, graves were brought into the cemetery from the battlefields and from some small burial grounds, the most important of which was Strumnitza British Military Cemetery, north-west of Doiran, made by the 40th Casualty Clearing Station in October and November 1918.
The cemetery now contains 1,338 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 449 of them unidentified. There are also 45 Greek and one French war graves.
Private Ellic George HAWES
Known as Ellic Hawes
Born: 18th November 1893, Oakley, Bucks
Baptised: 28th Jan 1894, Oakley Church
Pre-War Occupation Assistant in Grocer shop
Rank Private
Married: Unmarried
Married: Unmarried
Died: 9th May 1917
Cause of Death Killed in action
Age at death 23 Years 5 months
Buried The DOIRAN MEMORIAL
Father: George Hawes (born Oct 1853, Oakley, Bucks; married April 1879, Oakley, Bucks; occupation grocer; died 20th Nov 1933, age 80, Oakley, Bucks; buried 23 Nov 1933, Oakley Church)
Mother: Jane Hawes nee Bass (born Apr 1835, Little London, Brill: married April 1879, Oakley, Bucks; died 9th Jan 1934, age 78, Oakley, Bucks; bur. 12th Jan 1934, Oakley Church)
Brother (1) William James Hawes (born 16th Aug 1896, Oakley; bapt. 20th Sept 1896, Oakley Church)
Sisters (7) Sarah Bass Hawes (bapt. 1st Aug 1880, Oakley, Church; married Charles Gladdy, Oakley, Bucks; died 11th December 1962, age 82, Chestnut Cottage, Oakley; bur. 14th Dec 1962, Oakley Church)
Elsie Annie Hawes (bapt. 4th June 1883, Oakley Church; married 18th Apr 1909 to William Hunter at Uxbridge Road Tabernacle, died Sep 1972, age 90 Kensington, London)
Joselyn Annie Hawes (born 25th Feb 1884 Oakley, Bucks; bapt. 4th May 1884, Oakley Church)
Libia / Libya Hawes (born 27th Feb 1884 in Oakley, Bucks, married Apr 1914 to Mr Dewley; died Jan 1976, age 92, Corydon)
Salome Ruth Hawes (born, 10th Aug 1886 Oakley, Bucks; bapt. 10th Oct 1886, Oakley Church; married Mr Spendlove; died Jul 1978, age 91 Stoke Mandeville Hospital, buried, 4th Jul 1978, Oakley Church)
Ellen Eliza (Helen) Hawes (born 11th March 1888, Oakley, Bucks; bapt. 22nd Apr. 1888, Oakley Church)
Leah Rose (Leah Ruth) Hawes (born 27th March 1890, Oakley, Bucks; bapt. 2nd Oct 1898 Oakley Church; married Jun 1924 to Henry S. Wiggins, died Dec 1978 age 88, Northampton)
Ella Jane Hawes (born Oakley, Bucks; bapt. 2nd Oct 1898, Oakley Church; died Jul 1899; bur. 22nd Jul 1899, Oakley Church)
Paternal Grandfather: James Hawes (born 1803, Oakley, Bucks; married 20th Apr 1853, Oakley Church; death Dec 1853, Oakley)
Paternal Grandmother: Clarissa Hawes nee Griffin (bapt. 20th Mar 1814, Oakley; married 20th Apr 1853, Oakley Church; died Feb 1897, The Nap, Oakley; bur. 16th Feb 1897, Oakley Church)
Maternal Grandfather: John Bass (born 1816, Oakley, Bucks; married 14th Apr 1834, Oakley Church; ; died Jun 1878, Oakley)
Maternal Grandmother: Sarah Bass nee Brooks (born 1826, Little London, Bucks; married 14th Apr 1834, Oakley Church; died Apr 1876, Little London; bur. 13th Apr 1876, Oakley Church)
Medals
Roll of Individuals entitled to the Victory and British War Medal granted under Army Orders 301 and 266 – Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry):
16729 Private Ellic George HAWES – 7th Oxf & Bks L.I
Memorials/notes etc.
Oakley War Memorial.
Memorial: The DOIRAN MEMORIAL- Column 1, No. 40
Waddesdon Deanery Magazine.
March 1915 – roll of honour
July 1917 – missing
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
First Names: Ellic George
Surname: Hawes
Date of Birth 18th November 1893
Age 23 Years 5 months
Birth town: Oakley, Bucks
Resided town Oakley, Bucks
Nationality: British
Date of death: 9th May 1917
Fate: Killed in action
Information Son of George and Jane Hawes
New Villa, Oakley, Bucks
Rank: Private
Service Number: 16729
Theatre of War Balkan Theatre
Duty Location Salonika
Service British Army
Regiment Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Battalion 7th Battalion
Commemorated Doiran Memorial, Greece
Military background
BRITISH ARMY
Regiment during World War 1
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry – 7th (Service) Battalion
Sept 1914 Formed at Oxford as part of the Third New Army (K3) and then moved to Codford St. Mary to join the 78th Brigade of the 26th Division.
April 1915 Moved back to Oxford and then on to Fovant and Longbridge Deverill.
21.09.1915 Mobilised for war and landed at Boulogne.
26.11.1915 Embarked for Macedonia from Marseilles arriving at Salonika and engaged in various actions against the Bulgarian Army including;
1916 The Battle of Horseshoe Hill.
1917 The Battles of Doiran.
9th May 1917
This was the second attack on the Dorian Front
Objective: Bulgar front-line position on eastern and higher summit of the hill known as Hill Couronné . That line was to be taken and held.
Diary: The attack was resumed on the night of 8th/9th May with 77th (Scots) Brigade making the main thrust between Petit Couronne on its left and the edge of lake Doiran. The 7th Oxford and Bucks were given the task of supporting the assault by attacking on the extreme left the Scots (10th Black Watch on the right) with the summit of Petit Couronne as their final objective. The Battalion’s own formation for the attack, over the same ground as the 2nd April attack, was A and B Companies leading with C in Support and D in reserve.
The 77th Infantry Brigade began their assault at 9:50 p.m. At 19:45 p.m., the Battalion left its trenches and, much to its surprise, crossed the Jumeaux Ravine without any difficulty and was in place on the lower slopes of the Petit Couronne by 11:30 p.m. Just as it was congratulating itself on its early success, the enemy started landing heavy mortar shells onto its position and, to make matters worse, the British artillery dropped two 6-inch shells short onto the first wave of B company.
Very soon after, the enemy artillery opened up on the Battalion; it was holding on to that part of the hill, by its very fingertips. The Bulgars launched a number of counter-attacks at 1:30 a.m. which were beaten off by A Company’s Lewis guns. The two Platoons of the 8th Oxfords were now in the firing line. Further progress was impossible and some much needed attention to the growing number of casualties was a priority. Eventually, two companies of the 7th Berkshire reached the Battalion and, at dawn, another combined attack succeeded briefly, in taking Petit Couronne. However, casualties had been heavy with only two effective Officers remaining and by 9:15 a.m. the Battalion were back on the lower slopes of the hill. It was now a case of waiting for enemy’s next move. The loss of officers and senior N.C.O.’s made it difficult to understand the situation.
At about 9:30 a.m., Brigade ordered everyone to evacuate the Petit Couronne and by 3 p.m. on 9th May 1917 this was completed and, what remained of the Battalion, were back in their own trenches. It had been a gallant attempt and the 7th Oxfords cound not have done more but the whole operation had failed. Out of the 16 Officers and 530 Other Ranks who went into action 5 Officers were killed or died of wounds and 10 wounded; 107 Other Ranks were killed or died of wounds and 349 wounded of which 47 remained on duty.
The Brigadier-General of 22nd Division wrote “I would like to let all the survivors know how grieved I am at the loss of so many gallant officers and men. The manner in which the battalion fought was quite magnificent – nothing could have been finer. The way they stuck to Petit Couronne when subjected to such a devastating fire, and in the face of such terrible losses, will always remain an example of how British soldiers can put their sense of duty before any selfish thought of personal safety. I feel very proud at having had such a magnificent battalion under my command”
The Battalion was pulled out of the front line so the job of rebuilding and re-equipping could begin.
