CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY
V.C. FOR YOUNG AIRMAN GREAT COURAGE AND COOLNESS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 27. (Deceived' September 28, at 10.50 a.m.) The King has conferred the Victoria Cross on Sergeant John Hannah in recognition of his most conspicuous bravery. Sergeant Hannah, who is 18, lives in Glasgow. He was wireless operator and air gunner in an aircraft engaged in a successful attack on large concentrations of barges on the night of September 15, states an Air Ministry bulletin. The aircraft was hit by a projectile of an explosive and incendiary nature, which apparently burst inside the bomb compartment. A fire started and quickly enveloped the cockpits of the wireless operator and rear gunner. The port and starboard petrol tanks being pierced, there was a grave danger of the fire spreading. Sergeant Hannah then forced his way through the fire to obtain two extinguishers, and discovered that the rear gunner had been forced to leave the aircraft. He could have done the same, but remained and fought the fire for 10 minutes with the extinguishers, then beating the flames with the log book. During this time thousands of rounds of ammunition exploded in all directions, and Sergeant Hannah was almost blinded by the intense heat and fumes, but had the presence of mind to turn on the oxygen supply. The air rushing through the large holes caused by the projectile made the bomb compartment an inferno, and all the aluminium sheet metal of the floor of this airman’s cockpit melted away, leaving only the cross-bearers. Sergeant Hannah, his face and eyes burned, succeeded in extinguishing the fire. He crawled forward, ascertained that the navigator had left the aircraft, and passed the latter’s logs and maps to the pilot. This airman displayed courage, coolness, and devotion to duty of the highest order, and by his action enabled the pilot to bring the aircraft safely to its base.
Sergeant Hanna was born in Paisley, and was a boot company salesman before joining the 11.A.F. in 1939.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19400928.2.92.23
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Evening Star, Issue 23693, 28 September 1940, Page 12
Word count
Tapeke kupu
334CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY Evening Star, Issue 23693, 28 September 1940, Page 12
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Star. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Allied Press Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in