John Hannah

Flight Sergeant · 652918 · United Kingdom

Died

7 June 1947, aged 25

Fate

Killed in action

Biography

Burial / commemoration

Cemetery

Birstall (st. James) Churchyard, United Kingdom

Timeline

• 1 October 1940 Gazetted: VC
  Victoria Cross
• 7 June 1947 Died
  aged 25

Awards

• Victoria Cross (VC) — gazetted 1 October 1940

  652918 Sergeant John HANNAH. On 'the night of I5th September, 1940, Sergeant Hannah was the wireless operator/ air gunner in an aircraft engaged in a success- ful attack on enemy barge concentrations at Antwerp. It was then subjected to intense anti-aircraft fire and received a direct hit from a projectile of an explosive and in- cendiary nature, which apparently burst in- side the bomb compartment. A fire started which quickly enveloped the wireless opera- tor's and rear gunner's cockpits, and as both the port and starboard petrol tanks had been pierced, there was grave risk of the fire spreading. Sergeant Hannah forced his way through the fire to obtain two extinguishers and discovered tha

Source: CWGC casualty record: HANNAH, JOHN → · Commonwealth War Graves Commission