Medals from the Collection of Peter and Dee Helmore

Four: Lieutenant-Colonel E. B. Hawker, Commanding Officer, 5th Territorial Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, late Major, Royal Sussex Regiment

India General Service 1854-95, 3 clasps, Burma 1885-7, Burma 1887-89, Hazara 1888, clasp carriage altered between first ands second clasps in order to accommodate additional clasps (Ltt. E. B. Hawker, 2d Bn. R. Suss. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Col. E. B. Hawker.); Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19 (Lt. Col. E. B. Hawker. Devon. R.); together with an official replacement later issue India General Service 1854-95, 3 clasps, Burma 1887-89, Hazara 1888, Burma 1885-7 (Lieut. E. B. Hawker. 2- R. Sussex R.) with Great War style impressed naming, suspension claw tightened on first, the VM and TFWM both gilded (see note below), edge bruising to first, this nearly very fine; the remainder good very fine (5) £1,000-£1,400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Peter and Dee Helmore.

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Brigadier Brian Parritt Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, June 2007 (original IGS only)

Edmund Bulteel Hawker was born at Sea View House, Plymouth in 1862, the son of James Hawker, a prominent Plymouth City Wine Merchant. Educated at The Vicarage, Croxall, Tamworth he was appointed a Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on 15 October 1881 and transferred as a Lieutenant to the Royal Sussex Regiment in January 1884. Embarking at Plymouth for Ismailia on 16 October 1885 he was attached as a Special Service Officer to the 4th Brigade, Upper Burma Field Force, from 1885 to 1887, and continued in that capacity with the Burma Field Force from May 1887 to March 1888. Posted to the 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment he served with them during the ‘Black Mountain Expedition’ to Hazara in 1888. Awarded the India Medal 1854 with three clasps Burma 1885-7, Burma 1887-89 and Hazara 1888 he was appointed Captain The Royal Sussex Regiment in October 1892. Returning home he is recorded in the 1901 Census as a Captain, Reserve of Officers, at The Barracks, Broyle Road, Chichester.

Hawker was seconded to the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) in June 1901 before being appointed Adjutant of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment in January 1902. Appointed Major, Reserve of Officers, in October 1902 he resigned his commission with the Royal Monmouthshire R.E. (Militia) in December 1904, whilst his tenure of appointment as Adjutant 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment expired in January 1905. He was next appointed Major, 2nd (Prince of Wales’s) Volunteer Battalion, Devonshire Regiment in June 1907 and, on the formation of Territorial Force in April 1908, appointed Major in the 5th Battalion Devonshire Regiment.

Promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in the 5th (Prince of Wales’s) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, on 12 April 1913, Hawker was embodied for Great War service with his battalion whilst attending annual camp at Woodbury Common on 4 August 1914. As Commanding Officer of the 5th (TF) Battalion he entrained at Plymouth for Salisbury Plain on 9 August 1914 and embarked with his battalion at Southampton in HT Nevasa on 9 October 1914 bound for Bombay and then by rail to Multan, arriving in November 1914. After a period of extensive training in India he embarked with his battalion at Bombay in March 1917 to join the Egypt Expeditionary Force for service in Palestine. The 5th Battalion Devonshire Regiment formed part of 232nd Brigade 75th Division and moved up to El Arish in May 1917 and took over outpost duty on Sampson’s Ridge in June 1917 and then assisted in the raid on Umbrella Hill on 20 July 1917.

Hawker requested to be relieved of his command due to his age (55) and ill health on 25 July 1917, his request being confirmed by General Allenby and granting him permission to return to England. He relinquished his command of 5th Battalion on 6 August 1917 and embarked for home arriving later that month to report at the War Office who confirmed that no suitable appointment could be found and he was transferred to the Territorial Force Reserve Lieutenant-Colonel on 15 September 1917. Returning to join the family wine merchants business in Plymouth he finally retired from the Territorial Army Reserve having attained the age limit on 6 December 1921 after a total service of 40 years and 52 days. Later an Assistant Scout Commissioner for No. 5 Area, Devon, and President of the Plymstock Branch, Royal British Legion, he died at Plymstock on 19 February 1933, aged 70.

Sold with copied research.

Note: For reasons unknown Hawker was issued with the replacement India Medal with 3 clasps on payment in December 1924. His Victory Medal and Territorial Force War Medal are both gilded which was the common practice amongst the senior officers of the 5th Territorial Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, who presumably utilised the services of the same Plymouth jeweller.