Harold Hawkins

Air Vice-Marshal Harold Hawkins (18 February 1921 – 13 March 1988) was an Australian-born air force officer and diplomat. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force between 1941 and 1945. He enlisted in what became the Royal Rhodesian Air Force in 1947, and was its commander from 1965 to 1969. Hawkins subsequently became the Rhodesian Accredited Diplomatic Representative to South Africa until 1980.

Military career Royal Australian Air Force Harold Hawkins was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia on 18 February 1921. His initial schooling was at the Christian Brothers' College in Toowoomba. Hawkins' family moved to Brisbane in 1938.

Hawkins applied to join the Royal Australian Air Force during the first months of World War II, and was accepted by the service in late June 1940. He enlisted on 2 February 1941. During this period he served in the United Kingdom and Middle East. During this posting he married Evelyn Walker who had been raised in the colony.

Hawkins' final posting in the RAAF during World War II was to No. 7 Operational Training Unit. He was discharged from the RAAF on 26 November 1945. Hawkins achieved the rank of flight lieutenant and did not receive any honours during his RAAF service.

The RAF ended its logistical and other support for the RRAF following UDI, which disrupted the force's operations. UDI also sparked the Rhodesian Bush War, an armed insurgency by black nationalists against Rhodesia's white minority government. The RRAF was involved in this conflict from April 1966. Fighting was generally limited to small scale engagements until 1969. Hawkins encouraged the security forces to apply the minimum necessary level of force in engagements, and expressed concern over amount of ammunition that was fired during the April 1966 Battle of Sinoia which marked the start of the war. In September 1966 Hawkins and the Minister for Law and Order Desmond Lardner-Burke made radio broadcasts that warned militants against making attacks against Rhodesia during a Commonwealth conference that was being held in London.

Hawkins retired from the RRAF in April 1969.

Diplomatic roles

After emigrating to Rhodesia Hawkins was granted a Rhodesian passport. Due to United Nations sanctions imposed in response to Rhodesia's illegal declaration of independence, Rhodesian citizens were banned from travelling internationally. An Australian passport would allow Hawkins to evade the ban.

In April 1969 Hawkins was selected to be the Rhodesian Accredited Diplomatic Representative in South Africa. This was one of only three official diplomatic posts Rhodesia was able to maintain due to the impact of the United Nations sanctions imposed in response to its illegal declaration of independence, though there were also a number of unofficial Rhodesian representative offices in various countries. South Africa was a key partner for Rhodesia, and the country initially refused to apply the United Nations sanctions. During the 1970s South Africa provided Rhodesia with extensive financial and military aid.

Hawkins undertook the diplomatic role using his Australian passport. The Secretary of the Rhodesian Ministry of External Affairs and the Rhodesian representative to Portugal had also been issued Australian passports at around the same time as Hawkins; both men applied for the passports before commencing these diplomatic roles. Historian Matthew Jordan has observed that "the Smith regime was using Australia's generosity [in issuing passports to citizens] to evade sanctions". In July 1972 the Whitlam government decided to not renew Hawkins' Australian passport when it expired on the grounds that he was working for a government not recognised by Australia. Hawkins' Australian passport expired on 6 December 1972, and was not renewed in line with this decision. At the time Hawkins was still serving as Rhodesia's representative in South Africa.

As part of his role Hawkins worked with the South African government to evade the United Nations sanctions. For instance, in 1974 he asked the South African government to allow the front company for the Rhodesian Iron and Steel Corporation to hide its true ownership from the company's auditors.

Between September and December 1979 Hawkins formed part of the Rhodesian delegation in London during the negotiations which led to Lancaster House Agreement. This agreement ended the Rhodesian Bush War and directly led to Rhodesia's transition to majority rule and independence as Zimbabwe. He served as the foreign affairs adviser to the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia, Bishop Abel Muzorewa, during the negotiations.

Hawkins continued as the Rhodesian Accredited Diplomatic Representative in South Africa until early 1980, when the country became Zimbabwe.

Personal life

Hawkins and Evelyn had two children, a daughter and a son named Geoffrey who was born in February 1948. Hawkins died in South Africa on 13 March 1988.

Awards Hawkins received the following honours during his Rhodesian service: