All Saints Honour Board: Tom Hawkes
Among the many names carved into the All Saints World War I Honour Board, few carry a story as unexpected and far‑reaching as that of T.B. Hawkes. At first glance, his entry looks like any other—just a pair of initials in gold leaf—but behind them lies a life that spanned two world wars, a family business woven into Geelong’s commercial history, and a chapter of extraordinary endurance that took him from Western Beach to the POW camps of Europe.
Tom Bailey Hawkes grew up in a household deeply connected to All Saints and to the life of this city. His family’s hardware firm was a Geelong institution, his school years were spent at Geelong College, and his early adulthood unfolded against the backdrop of a world at war. Yet Tom’s story is not simply one of military service; it is also a story of duty, of survival in the chaos of the 1923 Yokohama earthquake, of leadership in business and community life, and of a second enlistment that would test him in ways no one could have foreseen.
As Stephen Yewdall shows in the account that follows, the quiet name on our honour board belongs to a man whose life was anything but quiet—a life marked by resilience, duty, and a deep sense of service that endured across decades.
This article was first published in the March 2026 issue of the Open Door Magazine, All Saints Parish magazine.
You can listen to a reading of this article by clicking the following link:
Tom Hawkes
The All Saints World War 1 Honour Board lists many interesting names but of particular interest, TB Hawkes has quite a story behind it. Thomas Bailey Hawkes was born in Geelong on 10 July 1898 to Tom Southam Hawkes and Lelia Maud Hawkes, née Bailey. They lived at the property, Llanberis, 30 Western Beach (on the corner of Ginn Street), Geelong.
The family operated a highly successful iron monger / hardware / builders supply business initially located in Mercer Street Geelong, established in 1854. On 6 April 1914, the Geelong Advertiser reported that the successful business hosted a Diamond (60 years) Anniversary Picnic at Barwon Heads where its 88 employees from its business locations in Geelong, Melbourne, Beaufort and Launceston were invited. The business had earlier relocated to new premises at 1 Clare Street (corner of Corio Street) Geelong.
Young Tom with his younger brother John (Jack Hawkes) both attended Geelong College (as did their father) for their schooling and they also attended All Saints Anglican Church.
Tom Bailey Hawkes enlisted for WW1 on 1 March 1918 at the age of 19 years, with the written permission of his parents. He listed his occupation as a student, as he had only recently left school. After initial training in Broadmeadows, Tom embarked on the military transport ship, Barambah on 31 August 1918. During the journey, 23 fellow soldiers died of influenza (possibly the Spanish Flu). Though still ill from influenza himself, Tom arrived in Tilbury England on 11 November 1918, the date of the Armistice and was allocated to the 14th Battalion. With the Armistice in place, Tom remained in England and never really saw a shot fired in anger! He was employed in the Records Office at AIF headquarters in London for the next 11 months.
Tom returned to Australia on October 1919, being finally discharged again on the 2nd Armistice Day 11 November 1919. He received the British War Medal for his service. To acknowledge the WW1 service of its employees, Hawkes Bros commissioned its own Honour Board which lists the names of 19 staff members, 6 of whom were killed in action (see photo below). The Board now resides at the Geelong Heritage Centre. Interestingly, TB Hawkes is not listed.
Meanwhile, Tom’s younger brother, Jack Bailey Hawkes, a promising school cricketer at Geelong College, in 1921 took up tennis as a career, subsequently playing in all the grand slams around the world and representing Australia in the Davis Cup in many countries over a number of years. Jack Hawkes won the Australian Open in 1926 as well as winning the doubles and mixed doubles at the same tournament. He retired from tennis in 1932.
Whilst having a break from following many Davis Cup tournaments, their father, Tom senior was in Yokohama Japan in September 1923 when he was tragically killed in an earthquake. Also killed was his long-term friend Russell Keayes who was Jack’s earlier tennis coach, now a wool buyer and also a fellow former Geelong College student. They were staying in the Oriental Palace Hotel, Yokohama when the earthquake struck. Lelia Hawkes, Tom Senior’s wife, was a survivor of the earthquake. Following the tragic death of his father, Tom Bailey Hawkes at the age of 25, took over the management of the business of Hawkes Brothers.
Tom had married on 6 July 1922 to Leslie Jean Vincent, daughter of pastoralist Robert Vincent of ‘Prospect House’, Western Beach Geelong, at St George’s Presbyterian Church, La Trobe Terrace Geelong.
They then moved into their family home at 195 Noble Street, cnr Shannon Avenue Newtown. Hawkes Bros P/L, now located at the corner of Corio Street and Clare Street Geelong (now Nireeda Apartments) continued to prosper and in 1928 they engaged architects Laird & Buchan to design extensions including a 3rd story to the building.
Come, WW2, Tom enlisted in the army once again, at the age of 42, on 26 June 1940. This time he listed his occupation as a Merchant / Managing Director. After military training in Geelong and Werribee, and being promoted to Sergeant, Tom departed Melbourne on 29 December 1940 for service in the Middle East, in Tobruk. He was a Gunner in the 3rd Anti-Aircraft Regiment.
A little over 3 months later on 7 April 1941 whilst on a night patrol, Tom became separated from his unit and was subsequently surrounded by a German armoured unit and surrendered. This led to 4 years being a Prisoner of War of the Nazis, initially interned in POW camps in Italy and later in Austria. Tom remained a POW till 29 May 1945, 3 weeks after VE Day on 8 May 1945.
Tom was returned to London for recovery and subsequently returned to Australia on 24 July finally, being discharged from the AIF on 28 August 1945. Back in Geelong, Tom resumed his role as Managing Director of Hawkes Bros P/L and in 1947 was also elected President of Geelong Racing Club. Later in 1947, Tom travelled with his wife, to America to study business operations as it applied to Hawkes Bros. Sadly, Tom took ill during the return journey to Australia and upon docking was admitted to hospital in Lewisham, Sydney where he sadly died on 12 April 1948.
Tom has a Memorial tomb at Eastern Cemetery (see photo below). Tom’s younger brother, tennis champion Jack Hawkes then took over as Managing Director of Hawkes Brothers. The business survived till the 1970s and Jack Hawkes passed away on 31 March 1990 in Geelong.
His son, Tom Vincent Hawkes, born 27 May 1923, also a Geelong Collegian, served in WW2 in the RAN from 25 February 1942 on 4 ships, seeing action in the Philippines, prior to his discharge in 1946. He was also active with the business till its demise.
Tom Bailey Hawkes is also listed on the Geelong College WW1 Roll of Honour, the Ballarat Prisoners of War Memorial and is one of the 137 names listed on the All Saints WW1 honour board and there is certainly quite a story behind those few gold letters that record his name.
Lest We Forget.
References:
Wikipedia,
The Geelong College – Pegasus Magazine,
Australia Virtual War Memorial,
Geelong Heritage Centre,
Trove – Geelong Advertiser/Argus,
Hawkes Bros Honour Board (held at Geelong Heritage Centre)
Grave at Eastern Cemetery
