R.A.F. SERGEANT GIVEN V.C.

Southland Times, Issue 24244, 30 September 1940, Page 6

R.A.F. SERGEANT GIVEN V.C.

FIRE IN AEROPLANE EXTINGUISHED (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, September 27. ' The King ras conferred the Victoria Cross on Sergeant John Hannah, in recognition of h’r most conspicuous bravery. Sergeant Hannah, who is 18 years of age, lives in Glasgow, and vzas wireless operator and air gunner on 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 an incendiary nature which apparently burst inside tl:bomb compartment. A fire started and quickly enveloped the cockpit of the wireless operator and the rear gunner. The port and starboard petrol tanks being pierced, there was a grave danger of the fire spreading. Sergeant Hannah forced his way through the fire to obtain two extinguishers and discovered that the rear gunner had be-... forced to leave the aircraft. He could have done the same, but he remained and fought the fire for 10 minutes with the extinguishers. Then he beat the flames with a log book. During; this time thousand’ of rounds of ammunition exploded in all directions and Sc.-geant Hannah was almost blinded by the intense heat and the fumes. He had, however, the presence of mind to turn on his oxygen supply. Air rushing through the large holes caused by the projectile made the bomb compartment an inferno and all the aluminium sheet metal on 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 and crawled forward to ascertain that the navigator had left the aircraft. He passed the latter’s log 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 Hannah was born in Paisley and was a boot company salesman before joining the Royal Air Force in 1939. Pilot Officer C. A. H. Connor, a Canadian, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for piloting a damaged Handley-Page Hampden bomber to his base following an attack on barge concentrations at Antwerp on the night of September 15, states an Air Ministry bulletin. His wireless operator and air gunner in this attack was Sergeant John Hannah, who received the V.C.

Sergeant Hannah is the first Scotsman to win the Victoria Cross since the outbreak of the war.

The bomber squadron to which Sergeant Hannah and Pilot Officer Connor belong was formed in Scotland in 1917. A few months later it began operations in France. In one operation on a stormy night towards the end of the war six pilots carried out a dangerous mission, each receiving the D.F.C. In the present war the squadron lived up to its reputation and before the exploit on September 15 had earned one D.S.O. for outstanding work on the Dortmund-Ems canal, thirteen D.F.C.’s and five D.F.M.’s.