Our Heroes

Harry Wilson Hawkins was born on July 13, 1917, near Reid Hill in southern Alberta. A true prairie farm boy, he answered the call to serve his country in 1943, enlisting as Stoker I (V56339) in the Royal Canadian Navy. He was assigned to HMCS New Glasgow, where he sustained a debilitating lung injury after being caught in the ship’s hold while fighting a fire below decks.

During his service, HMCS New Glasgow earned recognition for damaging beyond repair the last German submarine reported in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on June 20, 1944. After the war, Harry built a long and steady career with Calgary Transit Services, retiring as a bus driver in 1981 after 34 years of dedicated service.

In 1949, he married Mary Attwell, and together they raised three daughters: Patricia Yurkoski, Terry Lee Parsons, and Laura Dawn Davis..