Death of Cdr Robert Henry Hawkins MBE RN
9 Oct 2023 - Cameron ‘Cam’ Hawkins, son of MCDOA Committee member Bob Hawkins, has issued this sad announcement confirming that his father crossed the bar yesterday:
"It is with the most profound sadness I have to announce the sudden passing of my father Robert Henry Hawkins. On behalf of myself, my brother Jamie Alexander Hawkins, Trudy Helen Hawkins his incredible wife, his loving sisters Susie Watts & Mandy Woodall, his daughters Monica Dewar, and Jessica Peach. A beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandfather. We are all just beyond devastated by this loss.
A great man who lived a full and incredible life, personally and professionally. A loyal servant of the Royal Navy and I'm sure this news will come as a terrible shock to those in that institution that knew him and beyond, taken far far too soon. Part of me posting here is to connect to all those people that knew him that I don't have contacts for, so please share with all those who loved and knew him. Share your memories, photos, all in celebration of his life and memory.
Godspeed, Dad.”
Those who knew Bob well will be aware of the immense tragedy he suffered in his personal life but I will not dwell on his family history here.
Bob was born on 5 August 1960. Originally a proud Londoner schooled in Wandsworth, he joined BRNC Dartmouth as a 17 year-old midshipman in January 1978 and went on to serve in HMS BULWARK (1979). Promoted to Sub Lt on 1 January 1980, he subsequently served in HM Ships NEWCASTLE (1980) and EURYALUS as OOW/DIVO (1981) before qualifying as a Minewarfare & Clearance Diving Officer on the 1982 course at HMS VERNON. I superseded Geoff Goodwin as his course officer when Geoff was appointed as CO of HMS WOLVERTON in Hong Kong.
Bob Hawkins front and centre (as usual)
While on course, Bob formed a particularly tight bond with two of his course-mates, Sean O’Reilly and Simon Neil; both of whom eventually became fellow Commanders. They labelled themselves ‘The Three Amigos’ and their close friendship lasted the rest of Bob’s life with Sean becoming Godfather to his elder son Cameron.
Bob Hawkins, Simon Neil and Sean O’Reilly (aka ‘The Three Amigos’) on Marlborough Pier at HMS VERNON in 1982
In November 2007, Bob’s course celebrated its 25th anniversary at our annual dinner at HMS EXCELLENT where the core members were joined by Greg Mapson RAN who had sat in on their Mine Warfare module.
The course reunited again at our annual dinner at HMS EXCELLENT in November 2016.
Bob was promoted to Lt on 1 November 1982. After qualifying as an MCD officer in early 1983, he went on to serve in HMS BRECON as Ops Officer (1983/85), on the staff of Flag Officer Scotland & Northern Ireland as ‘Boss 2’ of the Scotland & Northern Ireland Clearance Diving Team under Steve Gobey (1986), and as First Lieutenant of HMS MIDDLETON (1987). He was then appointed to the first of his exchange jobs with the US Navy (1988/89), serving at the Naval EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Technical Division in Indian Head, Maryland where he was the Programme Manager for the Diver Acoustic Navigation System for the USN EOD Community. Promoted to Lt Cdr on 1 November 1991, he was then appointed as the SOO (Squadron Operations Officer) for the 10th (RNR) Mine Countermeasures Squadron based at Rosyth.
In 1992, Bob completed his pre-PWO time in HMS BRAZEN before qualifying as a PWO(A) (Principal Warfare Officer (Above Water Warfare)) at HMS DRYAD. He then joined HMS BRILLIANT as the Operations Officer (1993/94) where he featured prominently in Chris Terrill’s eponymous TV series chronicling the ship’s operational deployment off the Adriatic coast during the Balkans crisis. It was a wonderful fly-on-the wall documentary. Almost 25 years later, Bob would feature in another of Chris’s splendid series.
Bob Hawkins in Episode One of HMS BRILLIANT
In 1995, Bob joined SSOTS (Small Ships Operational Training Staff) under COMMW (Commodore Minor War Vessels & Minewarfare) at Rosyth and saw it through its transition to become the MPV (Minewarfare & Patrol Vessels) section of FOST (Flag Officer Sea Training) at Faslane. He then became the Programme Manager (Ships & Minewarfare) for DGSAP (Director General Saudi Armed Forces Project) from May 1997 until February 2001.
In July 2001, Bob was appointed as the fully Command-qualified Executive Officer of HMS IRON DUKE, a post he held until August 2003. In September 2003, he was back to FOST as Deputy Commander Sea Training (MPV) at Faslane until June 2006. He then went to work on NATO Minewarfare Doctrine in Brussels where a significant part of his duties with USN TACDEV was to be Secretary to the NATO Naval MInewarfare Group's Very Shallow Water Mine Countermeasures Panel.
In June 2006, Bob picked up his second exchange job in the USA, first at Corpus Christie in Texas then San Diego in California, as the Tactical Doctrine Development Officer for the US Navy’s Minewarfare Command / Naval Mine and ASW Command. Bob was involved in writing, reviewing and implementing US Navy and NATO tactical doctrine, also defining tactics, techniques and procedures. He specialised in Very Shallow Water Mine Countermeasures and Homeland Defence and Security, involving the use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. He also renewed many friendships and remained in post until January 2010 whereupon he returned to the UK, only to deploy to Bahrain on the staff of the UKMCC (UK Maritime Component Commander).
Bob was appointed an MBE in the 2007 New Year Honours in recognition of his service to the Royal Navy (national and foreign Mine Warfare & Clearance Diving Sea Training), and service to the Youth Community (Scout Association leadership at home and abroad, and Youth Justice volunteer work in Scotland).
In March 2010, Bob was appointed in Command of HMS PURSUER and as Commander of the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron, a role he performed until October 2011.
In January 2012, Bob joined the staff of COMMCMRON FIVE (Commander MCM Squadron 5) in Bahrain, working for CTF-52 as the Lead for Future Ops and Plans for Theatre Mine Countermeasures until July 2012.
In November 2012, Bob was sent to RMAF BUTTERWORTH in Penang, Malaysia to act as the Lead Maritime Planner (PlansB) at HQIADS (Head Quarters Integrated Area Defence System). The staff of HQIADS ran the BERSAMA/SUMAN series of exercises under the auspices of the FPDA (Five Power Defence Arrangements), the member nations being: Australia; Malaysia; New Zealand; Singapore; and the United Kingdom.
Britain’s little ambassador at HQIADS, Penang
Between May 2013 and August 2015, Bob took a break from the Royal Navy to work as the part-time Chief Operating Officer for the 100 Degrees East Marine Team in the Gulf of Thailand. This strictly non-executive, unpaid job involved advising a good (and old school) friend's scuba diving school based in Koh Samui.
In October 2015, Bob made a return visit to his old steamer HMS BRECON, now used as a harbour training ship by HMS RALEIGH near Plymouth.
In January 2016, Bob was appointed as First Lt of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and saw her through build and her initial sea trials. This was when he featured in another splendid TV documentary by Chris Terrill, namely ‘Britain's Biggest Warship - Series One’.
Bob Hawkins as the 1st Lt of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH in 2018
TV documentary maker Chris Terrill with Bob Hawkins
Bob Hawkins among a team of five officers from HMS Queen Elizabeth competing in the ITV game show ‘Tenable’. (If only they’d known there was an English king called Stephen.)
On 28 May 2016, Bob was the Officer of the Royal Guard during a ceremony at Rosyth commemorating the centenary of the Battle of Jutland.
Bob was promoted to Commander in June 2018 and celebrated the occasion with MCDOA past-Chairman David Hilton MBE in David’s office in the Semaphore Tower in Portsmouth Naval Base.
Fellow MCDOA members David Hilton MBE and Bob Hawkins MBE comparing notes
From June 2018 to April 2019, Bob worked on the staff of USCENTCOM at Tampa in Florida as Head of the Plans Integration Branch in J3-O Current Operations.
In August 2019, Bob returned to the UK to assume the role of SO1 Homeland & UK Maritime Security. This involved facilitating Maritime participation in Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA). In this job, he:
• Represented the Royal Navy on a number of Maritime Advisory Groups and panels to ensure military legislative compliance and facilitate military support. These included the Cabinet Office led Maritime Security Oversight Group, International Maritime Organisation, European Union and the Shipping Defence Advisory Committee, liaising with the UK Chamber of Shipping, major UK Shipping Companies and the Security Services, with specific focus on Maritime Security and Counter Piracy.
• Liaised closely with the Cabinet Office, Home Office, Department of Transport, Police and other Government Departments to identify, assess and generate appropriate Royal Navy capability in support of the Government’s National Security Strategy.
The job kept him extremely busy, especially in providing military support during the outbreak of Covid in February 2020, but he thrived on it.
On 14 June 2022, Bob Hawkins accompanied his wife Trudy and fellow MCDOA member Kev Stockton to the Platinum Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving in St Paul’s Cathedral followed by the lunchtime reception in the City of London’s Guildhall.
On 4 Jul 2023, Bob attended a royal garden party in the presence of HM the King at the Palace of Holyrood House, the King’s official residence in Edinburgh. The next day, the King was due to be presented with the Honours of Scotland including the crown, the sceptre, and a new sword named after the late Queen, in the presence of the Stone of Destiny.
CPO(MW) Andy Dawkins, Bob Hawkins, PO(MW) Mark ‘Titty’ Titman and PO(MW) Graeme ‘Blood‘ Reid
From January 2023 until his sad demise yesterday, Bob was still in harness as the Commanding Officer of the newly recommissioned HMS CALEDONIA at Rosyth and Chief of Staff to the Naval Regional Commander, Scotland and Northern Ireland. At the age of 63, he had completed almost 46 years in naval uniform.
Bob Hawkins on gate duty as the newly installed CO of HMS CALEDONIA
Bob Hawkins presiding over a wardroom mess dinner as CO of the newly recommissioned HMS CALEDONIA in May 2023
Bob had so many strings to his bow that it is impossible to list them all here. He was a frequent contributor to this website, as well as its predecessor at www.mcdoa.org.uk. He was not only a valued MCDOA committee member but was also Chairman of the Ton Class Association and an active member of several other forces-related organisations.
Bob Hawkins front and centre (as usual) at last November’s MCDOA Annual Dinner at HMS NELSON
Bob was the personification of a naval officer; an inspiring leader and a true gentleman. His integrity was matchless and, as others have declared, he could connect with anyone from admirals to the most junior sailor. He also had an innate sense of fun combined with a mischievous sense of humour. He seemed omnipresent too; wherever you went, there was Bob. Active on every social media platform you can imagine, he would have needed a diary the size of the Encyclopedia Britannica in the pre-digital age to register all his engagements and appointments. For example:
With Bob Hawkins in the car park at Twickenham in 2016 after the RN rugby team had vanquished the Army
Bob was also a stalwart supporter of Project Vernon, the successful campaign to fund, create and install the Vernon Mine Warfare & Diving Monument at Gunwharf Quays (formerly HMS VERNON) in Portsmouth as a tribute to all personnel - past, present and future - involved in naval mine warfare, service diving and explosive ordnance disposal.
Bob Hawkins with the Vernon Mine Warfare & Diving Monument in March 2020
Bob Hawkins flanked by fellow MCDOA members Nick Stanley and David Hilton MBE at the long-delayed dedication of the Vernon Mine Warfare & Diving Monument on 15 July 2022.
On a personal note, I will always treasure the friendship I established with Bob over 40 years ago. Our professional and social paths have entwined inextricably and I will miss him dearly, as will we all.
Hawkins and Hoole spending some off-watch time together
I have lots of other photos of Bob in various circumstances, some of which I may add here in due course. In the meantime, I am sure all members of our close-knit community will join me in extending our heartfelt sympathy to Trudy and the rest of Bob’s family at this difficult time. I will publish further updates and funeral details as they become available.
From MCDOA member Jon Riches (LMCDO ‘66):
“Dear Rob,
How very sad to hear of the death of Bob Hawkins. I first met Bob when he was a Midshipman in HMS Newcastle when I was 1st Lt. He impressed me then and was a fun member of the Wardroom contributing much to the social life! Whether I had any influence on him becoming a MCDO I don't know but like to think I did!
I met him again when he was in an exchange appointment at the US Navy EOD School at Indian Head and I was visiting as the RN Superintendent of Diving. He and his wife were kind and generous hosts and he was in a job he clearly enjoyed and was well respected by the US Navy staff.
My final meeting with him was at Alan Padwick's funeral where his zest for life and obvious enjoyment of his long and successful career in the RN was very evident.
May he rest in peace and my sincere condolences to his family.
In sadness,
Jon Riches”
From MCDOA member Steve Gobey (LMCDO ‘71):
“Dear Rob,
What a shock to learn of Bob’s passing. So sad and hard to believe. Difficult to think of the MCD Branch, RN and the world without him. He was eternal in my mind but I know his legacy will be now. He was a wonderful ambassador for us all.
Such a lovely man and a great character. I had the privilege of having Bob as my right hand man when I was SMCDO FOSNI/SNICDT back in the 1980s and have many happy memories of my time with him then and the numerous other occasions we met over the years.
Sally and I send our sincere condolences to Trudy and all of the family. Our thoughts are with them.
RIP Bob. You did us proud!”
From MCDOA Past-Secretary Capt David ‘Topsy’ Turner RN/RNZN (LMCDO ‘83B):
“Dear Rob,
I, like many countless MCDOs, PWOs, officers and men of a great number of navies around the world with whom our Bob rubbed shoulders, shared nose clips, exchanged dits of daring do’s and imbibed far more than we ought, stand speechless and wide-eyed at Bob’s premature passing. I can say with 100% certainty that there is nowhere, absolutely nowhere, on this planet that there isn’t some diver, bubblehead or EOD operator that knew of Bob Hawkins, Bob the Dog, The Legend.
Five Bells passed and repeated Diver Bob - your work is done shipmate. Don’t forget to clear your bag before leaving bottom to reach those Pearly Gates.
Yours Aye and Ever Brother,
Topsy”
Bob Hawkins with Topsy Turner at HMNZS PHILOMEL in Auckland, New Zealand in October 2014 when Topsy was the CO of HMNZS CANTERBURY
Bob Hawkins with Topsy Turner in Harrogate, Yorkshire in June 2019
From MCDOA Past-President Capt Chris Massie-Taylor OBE RN (LMCDO ‘71):
“Dear Rob,
Such devastating news to hear of Bob Hawkins’ passing. Our paths crossed many times and I always thought he was a fine officer. We first met when I was driving HMS BROCKLESBY in 1983 and he was in BRECON. I recaĺl some fun times during a Squadron visit to Sweden. Again in 1991 when SWO to COMMW, Bob was SOO to MCM10.
Perhaps our most notable time serving together was with DGSAP in Saudi Arabia. Bob, as part of my Team along with Sean O'Reilly, was based in Jubail and I was always looked after so well by Bob and Joan during my many visits from Riyadh. Great adventures were had by all including a four-vehicle crossing of The Empty Quarter, the largest sand desert in the world where we were joined by Bob, Joan and the two boys, Cameron and Jamie. Also our long trips to Jeddah to go diving in the Red Sea where Bob looked after my daughters. Always go-getting and full of enthusiasm, he was a pleasure to serve with and will be missed greatly.
Sue, myself and our three daughters send our hèart-felt condolences to his family.”
From Captain Eric Wirstrom USN:
“This is devastating news. The Royal Navy has lost a loyal servant, and I have lost a friend and mentor with the sudden passing of Bob Hawkins MBE AFNI - Chief of Staff.
I had the privilege of first meeting Bob in San Diego when I was the Commanding Officer of EODMU ONE. I quickly learned to trust his wisdom and experience. Fortunately, our professional and personal paths would cross again at numerous points along the way in the following years, from San Diego, to Portsmouth, UK, to EGUERMIN and Brussels, and even Bahrain. Bob had a quick smile, a sharp wit, and could 'spin a dit' like no other.
He loved the Royal Navy and serving his country. He was a Sailor's Sailor. Bob made me a better leader in uniform, and a better man for knowing him.
I'd like to join in offering my condolences to his family, friends, and shipmates all over the world.
BZ to the MCDOA for a touching tribute to a great man.
Rest easy, Sir Robert. 'Til Valhalla, brother.”
N.B. In 2016, Bob Hawkins invited Eric Wirstrom, his old boss, to be Guest of Honour and Principal Speaker at the MCDOA’s Annual Dinner in HMS EXCELLENT.
Capt Eric Wirstrom USN speaking at the MCDOA’s Annual Dinner in 2016 with Bob Hawkins seated on his right. Sean O’Reilly and Simon Neil, the other two members of ‘The Three Amigos’, are seated opposite.
From Bill Chambers (LMCDO ‘79) and his brother Tom (LMCDO ‘81):
“In the words of E. Jarvis Thribb:
So, farewell then Bob,
The world is surely a less colourful,
And far more boring place without you…..Many great memories of an amazing colleague and friend; some scary, some exciting and many funny…..particularly the hog-snarling runs-ashore that combined all three of the above.
Sadly, due to a family funeral, we are unable to be there in person but have no fear….there will be no moaning at the bar, when you put out to sea.
Bill & Tom Chambers”