Private William Roy Hawes remembered at Vimy Memorial

Private William Roy Hawes of Kindersley, Sask., was among the many young Canadians who gave their lives in the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Born Nov. 17, 1896, in Guelph, Ont., Hawes moved west with his family to homestead near Kindersley. Single and working as a clerk, he enlisted in Saskatoon on March 8, 1916.

After going overseas with the 65th Battalion that June, Hawes served with the 46th Battalion (South Saskatchewan), part of the 10th Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division. The battalion saw heavy fighting along the Western Front in France and Belgium.

Hawes was killed in action on April 11, 1917, during the battle for Vimy Ridge. He is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial in Pas de Calais, France.

He was the son of George Henry and Margaret Christina (née Rudd) Hawes of Kindersley, and brother to John, George Harvey, Norman, Ethel, Olive and Frederick. Private William Roy Hawes was 20 years old.