Geoffrey Alan Brooke Hawkins was born on 13 July 1895, eldest son of Captain H. R. M. Hawkins, of South Walks, Dorchester. He entered Osborne College in May 1908, and was appointed in January 1913 as midshipman to the cruiser Natal, in which he served during the first part of the First World War. In January 1916, he was promoted sub-lieutenant and joined the destroyer Sandfly, and from May 1917 served in the minesweeper Holderness, in which he was promoted to lieutenant. In June 1918, before he was 23, he was given command of a minesweeper, the Tedworth, and in 1919 was awarded the D.S.C. for war service in her.
From 1924 to 1927 he served as A.D.C. to the Governor-General of South Africa, the Earl of Athlone. During the tour of the Prince of Wales to South Africa in 1925 he was attached to the staff of His Royal Highness, and was appointed M.V.O. He resumed sea service in May 1927, in the Nelson, Atlantic Fleet flagship, and two years later was appointed to the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert, from which he was promoted to Commander in December 1930. After attending senior officers’ courses in 1931 and the Staff College in 1932, he was executive officer of the Effingham, Reserve Fleet flagship, in 1933, and in command of the destroyer Ardent in the Mediterranean in 1934-35. He then had two years as executive officer at Dartmouth College and was promoted to Captain in December 1937. During 1938 he served on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, until being selected for the Imperial Defence College course of 1939.
On the outbreak of the Second World War he was appointed for special service at the Admiralty, but shortly afterwards took command of the armed merchant cruiser Queen of Bermuda in the South Atlantic. From 1941 to 1943 he was chief staff officer to Flag Officer, Gibraltar, and was then appointed to command the cruiser Kent. He was mentioned in despatches in 1944 for courage displayed in this ship during operations which resulted in the sinking of an enemy convoy off the coast of Norway.
From May 1945, he was Commodore of the R.N. Barracks, Portsmouth, until his promotion to rear-admiral in January 1947. Two months later he was appointed Vice-Controller of the Navy in the Admiralty. In this post, which he held until October 1949, he had wide responsibilities for the provision of naval material. He was made a C.B. in the 1949 new year honours. In August 1950, the same month in which he was promoted to vice-admiral, he was appointed Flag Officer, Malta, and Admiral Superintendent of the Dockyard, serving there for the customary two years. He was created K.B.E. in the 1952 birthday honours, and was placed on the retired list in December of that year. He was attached to the staff of the Princess Royal on tours of the West Indies in 1960 and to Cyprus in 1962.
He married in 1926 Lady Margaret Scott, eldest daughter of the seventh Duke of Buccleuch. Her younger sister was Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. She was a lady-in-waiting to Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, at the time of her marriage, and as the Earl and Countess of Athlone were living in Cape Town, the Earl being Governor General of South Africa, the marriage between Lady Margaret and Commander Hawkins took place in a newly built cathedral in Cape Town.
Sold together with the following associated items:
i. H.M.S. Natal Medal 1915, silver, 25mm, ‘Presented to H.M.S. Natal from the People of Natal’, impressed on the edge ‘Midshipn. Geoffrey A. B. Hawkins.’, together with various naval buttons and two named identity discs.
ii. Hallmarked silver cigarette case, Birmingham 1919, 90mm x 85mm, with inscription ‘Presented to Lieut. Hawkins, R.N. from the Ship’s Company H.M.S. Harebell 1921’, and with a record of his previous appointments and commissions ‘R.N.C. Osborne, R.N.C. Dartmouth, H.M.S. Cumberland, H.M.S. Natal, H.M.S. Gossamer, H.M.S. Nicator, H.M.S. Sandfly, H.M.S. Holderness, H.M.S. Meynell, H.M.S. Tedworth, H.M.S. Zetland, H.M.S. Mistley, H.M.S. Harebell’.
iii. Royal Tournament, bronze medal, 32mm, the reverse inscribed ‘Bayonet Combats R. Navy. H.M.S. Nelson. Atlantic Fleet 1929, in its Carrington & Co. case of issue.
iv. Mention in despatches oak leaf, with Admiralty forwarding enclosure. v. Pair of Admiral’s rank shoulder board by Gieves Limited and two large silver bullion stars. vi. Red and white silk pennant for the rank of Vice-Commodore.
vii. A good selection of portrait photographs and others relating to the Admiral’s naval career.
viii. ‘Programme for the Visit of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to Cyprus March 1962’, clearly intended for very limited private circulation amongst officials involved.
See Lots 323 and 70 for for the medals awarded to the recipient’s wife and their daughter.
www.dnw.co.uk all lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyers’ premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)
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