Military service - can this help me?

[Simon-Hawking]

I have found links to military service for my great grandafather, Herbert (Albert) Hawking, in our family bible - this is the only info for him really.  It confirms his DOB and place as Linkinhorne.  The service relates to the 64th Royal Artillery battery as a driver, and shows him having served in the Bora war - service between 1896 and 1905.  I also have his service number.

I seem unable at present to locate any records of him online.


Would this help me find information for his father and mother, or simply usefull info to have?



Simon.

[Hackstaple]

1881 Census from the marvellous Linkinhorne Parish site:
Linkinhorne

Benjamin HAWKING, Head, Widower, 72, Male, Farmer Of 30 Acres Employing 3 Men, St Germans 

Edward HAWKING, Son, Unmarried, 30, Male, Farmers Son, Linkinhorne 

Jane HAWKING, Daughter, Unmarried, 36, Female, Farmers Daughter, Linkinhorne 

Herbert D, HAWKING, Grandson, , 6, Male,, Linkinhorne 

Well worth a visit http://www.lynherparishes.co.uk/Linkinhorne.htm

Good luck. They have a stack of data available. Wish I was so lucky!

[suey]

Simon - Military Records are always interesting to have.  You will have to make a visit in person to The National Archives at Kew in order to find and get a copy though.

I have the records of my Great Uncle who also served in Boer War.  It tells me when and where he was, the medals he was awarded and it had his fathers name and home address as next of kin  .

It also told me that he had three spells in the 'glasshouse'  turns out he had a bit of a temper and was'nt keen on the discipline !

There is a very usefull book called Tracing your Ancestors in the PRO by Amanda Bevan.  It has all the info you need to help you look for records at Kew.  You should be able to get it from your library.
Hope this helps - Suey

[M.T.H]

Hi Simon,

I think that your ggrandfather's service history would be not only usefull but very informative if were you able to locate them.

To the best of my knowledge there are no service records that are accessible online.It is interesting to note that your ggrandfather served in the Boer war 1899-1902 as I have just obtained my ggrandfathers service papers from that campaign(from the PRO) and very informative they are too! lots of personal details that I would otherwise have never known, although, rather suprisingly, no next of kin details

Here is a link to some really usefull information on locating Boer war service records should you decide that you want to follow it up,

http://www.sfowler.force9.co.uk/page_20.htm

Good luck with your search,Mick

[Hackstaple]

FreeBMD has  this record;

Surname  First name(s)    District  Vol  Page 

~~~~~~~~
Births Sep 1876
~~~~~~~~
 
HAWKING  Herbert Edward    Liskeard  5c 49

Linkinhorne births were all registered at Liskeard at that time.