Harry George Hawker MBE, AFC (1889-1921) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Harry George Hawker MBE, AFC

Born 22 Jan 1889 in Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Son of George Hawker and Mary Ann Gilliard (Anderson) Hawker

Brother of Ethel Maude (Hawker) Chamberlain, Herbert Stanley Hawker MC, Ruby (Hawker) Smith and Lillian Grace (Hawker) Inglis [half]

Husband of Muriel Alice (Peaty) Hawker — married 17 Nov 1917 in London

Father of Pamela (Hawker) Hope-jones and Mary Hawker

Died 12 Jul 1921 at age 32 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: James Dale

[send private message]

Profile last modified 6 Oct 2022 | Created 12 May 2016

This page has been accessed 1,603 times.

Biography

Harry Hawker MBE, AFC is Notable.

Born at Wickham Rd, Moorabbin. Birth registration states Cheltenham

Died at the Hendon Aerodrome, London, England

Duration Record

Remained aloft for 8hrs 23mins to win the Michelin Cup

Height Records

11,450 feet
10,800 feet with 2 passengers
8,400 feet with 3 passenger (World record)
12,000 feet with one passenger
Australian record of 7,800 feet in Albury, N.S.W. (1914)
New record of 18,393 feet
New record of 24,408 feet (World record)

Efficiency Records

Ascending at a rate of 1,200 feet per Min.
Covering a set course at 98 miles/hr, then same course at 36 miles/hr, this variation test set a world record.

Distance Record

Nearly 1,000 miles over water during around Britain attempt, creating a world record
First British subject to win the "Singer" Competition for amphibious craft (Flying Boat)
Won numerous "point to point" speed races
First pilot to "Loop the Loop" in a Seaplane
World record of 105.15 miles/hr in a 1.5lt car (Brooklands Race track)

First to attempt the flight across the Atlantic (St. John's, Newfoundland, to England)

http://www.harryhawker.com.au/Breaking-Records.html

"Atlantic" before trans-Atlantic flight

Chief test pilot and design team lead of the following aircraft:

Sopwith Admiralty Type 137
Sopwith Type 806
Sopwith Type 807
Sopwith Type 860
Sopwith Two-Seat Scout
Sopwith Tabloid
Sopwith Baby
Sopwith Sparrow

Three views of the single-seat bomber version of the Sopwith 1½ Strutter Sopwith 1½ Strutter Sopwith Pup Re Baby test bed. Sopwith Triplane Sopwith L.R.T.Tr. Sopwith Hispano-Suiza Triplane[6] Sopwith Bee (test bed for Camel) Sopwith Camel Sopwith B.1 Sopwith Hippo Sopwith Cobham Twin Engine Bomber Sopwith Dragon Sopwith Snipe Sopwith Dolphin Sopwith Salamander Sopwith Cuckoo Sopwith Bulldog Sopwith Buffalo Sopwith Rhino Sopwith Scooter Sopwith Swallow Sopwith Snail Sopwith Snapper Sopwith Snark

Post World War I

Sopwith Gnu Sopwith 1919 Schneider Cup Seaplane Sopwith Atlantic Sopwith Antelope Sopwith Wallaby Sopwith Rainbow racer Sopwith Grasshopper

HAWKER, aviator Designer Engineer

L.K.Blackmoore Orian Books C1991

Australian_Aviator
Moorabbin
Victoria

Sources

Vic birth registration #1944/1889
Wikipedia: Harry Hawker
Home Page: [2]
Harry Hawker: the boy who wanted to fly. http://localhistory.kingston.vic.gov.au/htm/article/188.htm.
Harry Hawker Pioneer Aviator Society: [3]
Thomas Sheehy, 'Hawker, Harry George (1889–1921)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hawker-harry-george-6605/text11375, published first in hardcopy 1983.
'Early Birds' H.C.Miller Rigby Publishing 1968 - a slightly later contemporary of Hawkers at Brooklands

Memories: 8

Enter a personal reminiscence or story.

James Dale

Meeting August 10th, Harry Hawker Society

http://www.rotarybmc.org.au/meeting-august-10th-harry-hawker-society/

posted 17 Aug 2016 by James Dale [thank James]

James Dale

The house Harry was born in has long gone, but the property that was owned by Mr Stayner can be easily seen because of there size compared to the new properties.

posted 13 Jul 2016 by James Dale [thank James]

James Dale

George Hawker was cricket player and Sectary of the Highett Cricket Club. On Saturday afternoon Harry and Bert would have helped George and the team with their pads, bats and equipment.

Harry and Bert would have had the opportunity to play in the creek running though the park and the trees.

posted 13 Jul 2016 by James Dale [thank James]

James Dale

It is apparent but not recorded that Harry had known of the local native "Boon Warrong" people. As he later made comments about Boomerangs and the native people. On the property of George Hawker was a tree that was used for meeting (corroboree) of the local clan.

posted 13 Jul 2016 by James Dale [thank James]

James Dale

Hard times were nothing new for the Hawker family as Victoria had been in a depression for many years. As most of the farmers of the district had been in investments with the local Councillor/MLA Tommy Bent it was always hard to get paid.

posted 13 Jul 2016 by James Dale [thank James]

James Dale

Harry was very interested in the Steam Locomotives that past his home and would walk down to the railway station at South Brighton (now Moorabbin) to wait for the tender to be filled.

If he was lucky the driver would let him ride on the running plate to the next station at Highetts Rd passing his house on Wickham Rd.

posted 13 Jul 2016 by James Dale [thank James]

James Dale

With his brother Bert and his Sisters Maud and Ruby, would travel to churches of the district with their farther George on Sunday. George was a circuit minister and made his way to Mordialloc to Brighton where the children would hand out hymn books and help with tea.

posted 13 Jul 2016 by James Dale [thank James]

James Dale

As a child Harry would make hides in local swamps to watch the water birds. To get closer to tree birds he made a ladder out of railway spikes to climb to the top.

posted 13 Jul 2016 by James Dale [thank James]

Is Harry your ancestor? Please don't go away!