Colin Hannah

Thomas Hannah

Sir Colin Thomas Hannah KCMG KCVO KBE CB (born December 22, 1914 in Menzies , Western Australia , † May 22, 1978 in Surfers Paradise , Queensland ) was an Australian officer and governor .

Life

Early years

Flying Officer Hannah (front right) as an adjutant on the RAAF Pearce, 1938

Colin Hannah was born to Thomas Howard Hannah, a public clerk who later became a magistrate , and his wife, Johanna. He attended Hale School and graduated from high school in 1930. He served six months in the 8th Field Artillery Brigade , a militia unit , in 1933 before joining the Crown Law Department of the Civil Service.

In January 1935, Hannah joined the Royal Australian Air Force as an air cadet at Point Cook . In July 1936 he became a pilot officer . First the No. 22 Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond, he was assigned to No. 23 Squadron transferred to Laverton Base . In March 1938, his unit was relocated to the newly opened RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia . In January he married Patricia Gordon.

Second World War

Promoted to flight lieutenant , Hannah was training with the Royal Air Force in England when World War II began in September 1939. He completed the training and returned to Australia in March 1940. He was transferred to Air Force Headquarters in May of that year, promoted to Squadron Leader in September , and Deputy Director of Armaments the following year. In April 1942 he was promoted to Wing Commander of the Reserve.

In November 1943 he was given command of No. 6 Squadron in Milne Bay . His unit flew operations with Bristol Beaufort bombers against Japanese targets in Rabaul .

During a briefing flight, Hannah came across Kiriwina in friendly fire of the anti-aircraft guns, but was not seriously wounded. In December 1943 he was promoted to Group Captain of the Reserve. In the first two months of 1944 he commanded No. 71 Wing before he was given six weeks vacation leave due to illness. He then returned to No. 6 Squadron , which was meanwhile stationed on Goodenough Island . He was appointed Senior Air Staff Officer at Western Area Command Headquarters in Perth in September 1944 and assumed command of the area from June 1945 to May 1946.

After the war

In 1947 he was stationed in the UK and trained at RAF Staff College , Andover , and served as Senior Air Staff Officer at the Royal Australian Air Force Overseas Headquarters in London . In August 1950 he took command of No. 82 Wing at RAAF Base Amberley , Queensland . In 1951 he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire . In September of the same year, Hannah became Head of Personnel Affairs, and then in July 1952, General Manager, Personnel Affairs. As aide-de-camp of Queen Elizabeth II , he took over the planning of the royal visit to Australia in 1954. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June of the same year on the celebrations of the Queen's birthday.

In 1955 he attended the Royal College of Defense Studies in London and was promoted to Air Commodore . From January 1956, he was Senior Air Staff Officer at the RAF Far East Headquarters in Singapore and headed the Malayan Emergency Uprising Operation . His achievements during this conflict were honored with his appointment as Companion of the Order of the Bath in June 1959. As Director General for Planning, he was responsible for the relocation of the Department of Air from Melbourne to Canberra from March 1959 . In December 1961, he was named Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force and Air Vice Marshal .

On January 1, 1971, he was promoted to Air Marshal and succeeded Alister Murdoch as Chief of Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force and remained so until 1972.

From March 21, 1972 to March 20, 1977 he was Governor of Queensland .

Web links

• Chris Clark: Hannah, Sir Colin Thomas (1914–1978) . In: Douglas Pike (Ed.): Australian Dictionary of Biography . Melbourne University Press, Carlton (Victoria) 1966–2012 (English).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ PDF at www.awm.gov.au