Colin Hannah
Sir James Ramsay | |
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Personal details | |
Born | 22 December 1914 Companion of the Order of the Bath |
Hannah commanded
Early career
Born on 22 December 1914 in Menzies, Western Australia, Hannah was the son of Thomas Howard Hannah, a local mining registrar who later became a clerk of court and then a magistrate in Perth, and his wife Johanna Frame.[1][2] Hannah attended Hale School, leaving with a Junior Certificate in 1930. He served with an Australian Militia unit, the 8th Field Artillery Brigade, from February 1933, and became a clerk in the Crown Law Department of the State Public Service later that year.[1][3]
Hannah joined the
World War II
Promoted to
In November 1943, Hannah was appointed commanding officer of No. 6 Squadron at Milne Bay, Papua, flying Bristol Beaufort light bombers.[3][7] During a familiarisation flight he came under friendly fire from anti-aircraft guns on Kiriwina Island, but avoided serious injury. He was raised to temporary group captain in December, and assumed command of No. 71 Wing the following month.[1] The Beauforts of No. 6 Squadron and No. 71 Wing took part in a series of major attacks on Rabaul, bombing and strafing airfields, infrastructure and shipping; this continued until February 1944, when the Japanese withdrew their aircraft from Rabaul.[8][9] The same month, Hannah fell ill and had to be repatriated to Australia. After six weeks recuperation at Laverton, he returned to No. 6 Squadron, based on Goodenough Island.[1] From March to August, the squadron was mainly involved in convoy escort and anti-submarine duties.[10] In September 1944, Hannah was appointed senior air staff officer (SASO) at Headquarters Western Area Command, Perth.[3] He took over control of the formation from Air Commodore Raymond Brownell in July 1945, following Brownell's departure to command No. 11 Group in the Dutch East Indies.[11][12]
Post-war RAAF career
Rise to Chief of the Air staff
Hannah handed over command of Western Area in October 1946, and was posted to Britain.
In 1955, Hannah attended the
Chief of the Air staff
Hannah was promoted to air marshal on 1 January 1970, and succeeded Air Marshal Sir Alister Murdoch as Chief of the Air Staff.[1][3] Murdoch had earlier recommended Hannah, known to be a strong advocate for Australian participation in the Vietnam War, for the position of Commander Australian Forces Vietnam when it came up for rotation at the end of 1969; the post went to an Army officer, and the Federal government ordered the withdrawal of the RAAF presence in Vietnam during Hannah's tour as CAS.[27] In March 1970, the Minister for Defence, Malcolm Fraser, commissioned a review of naval air power. Hannah fundamentally disagreed with any suggestion that the Royal Australian Navy should operate land-based aircraft, claiming that he was arguing not from a partisan perspective but to ensure that Australia's limited defence resources were not spread across three services. Confidential RAAF papers from the time declared that its goal was always to "avoid giving the Navy the opportunity to establish a land-based air force".[28] Two years later, Hannah responded favourably to a recommendation from the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Admiral Sir Victor Smith, to use the soon-to-be-delivered F-111 bomber for maritime support, among other roles.[29]
In the 1971 New Year Honours, Hannah was raised to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).
Governor
Viceregal styles of Sir Colin Hannah | |
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Reference style | His Excellency |
Spoken style | Your Excellency |
Hannah's planned three-year term as Chief of the Air Staff was cut short by some ten months when he accepted an offer to serve as Governor of Queensland, becoming the first officer in the RAAF to receive a vice-regal appointment. The announcement was made in January 1972, and he took office on 21 March.[1][34] He succeeded Sir Alan Mansfield.[35] Hannah did not have a strong connection with Queensland at the time of his appointment, and had only lived in the state during his period as commander of RAAF Station Amberley between 1949 and 1951.[36] He claimed not to have actively sought the governorship, and was criticised for failing to consult with senior colleagues before making his decision to retire early from his position as head of the Air Force. He was replaced as CAS by his deputy, Air Vice Marshal (later Air Marshal Sir) Charles Read.[37][38]
Described when he took office as "a man with the flexibility of mind and ability to mix with people, so necessary for a Governor",
Following his succession in November 1975, Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser attempted to have the dormant commission reinstated, but the Queen – following advice from the British government that cited Hannah's lack of impartiality – refused her assent. When Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen sought to extend the Governor's term, the British government again declined. Bjelke-Petersen sought to pursue the matter further, but Hannah declined to let his name be put forward again.[38][44]
On 9 October 1976, Hannah dedicated a memorial at
Retirement and death
Hannah retired following completion of his term as Governor of Queensland.
Notes
- ^ ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ^ "Personal items". Kalgoorlie Miner. 15 June 1911. p. 7. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Dennis et al., The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History, p. 286
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp. 141–142
- ^ a b c d e Stephens; Isaacs, High Fliers, pp. 150–152
- ^ a b "Air Marshals". Royal Australian Air Force. Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 99–103 Archived 14 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 93–96 Archived 14 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 125–133 Archived 14 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 330 Archived 14 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run an Air Force!, p. 304
- ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ^ "For staff school". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 25 October 1946. p. 8. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- ^ "On-the-job training". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 28 August 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
- ^ "Air promotion". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 20 October 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
- ^ "No. 39105". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1950. p. 36.
- ^ "All walks of life in New Year's Honours". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 January 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "No. 40189". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1954. p. 3296.
- ^ "No. 41739". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1959. p. 3905.
- ^ Jacobs, Up and Away, pp. 111–112
- ^ "Dassault Mirage III". RAAF Museum. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 264–268
- ^ "Iroquois fly in farewell" (PDF). RAAF News. Canberra: Royal Australian Air Force. June 1966. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 76, 454
- ^ a b c Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 452–453
- ^ "Dedication of the National Memorial to the Royal Australian Air Force, Anzac Parade, Canberra, ACT, Friday 1 November 2002" (PDF). Canberra: National Capital Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The RAAF in Vietnam, pp. 79–80
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 312–313
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p. 392
- ^ "No. 45263". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1970. p. 34.
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p. 451
- ^ Parnell; Boughton, Flypast, p. 341
- ^ a b Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 305
- ^ "No. 45638". The London Gazette. 6 April 1972. p. 4071.
- ^ a b "Governors of Queensland". The Office of the Governor, Queensland. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, Soldiers in Politics, p. 35
- ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p. 454
- ^ a b c Stephens, Australia's Air Chiefs, pp. 31–32
- ^ "No. 45776". The London Gazette. 12 September 1972. p. 10843.
- ^ "No. 45777". The London Gazette. 14 September 1972. p. 10924.
- ^ "Queensland Governor backs move for election". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 October 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ a b Coulthard-Clark, Soldiers in Politics, p. 62
- ^ Hayden, Bill (1996). Hayden: An Autobiography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. p. 293.
- ^ "The hidden hand of her majesty". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 February 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- ^ Sandell, Dicing With Death, pp. 82–83
- ^ "No. 47292". The London Gazette. 5 August 1977. p. 10154.
- ^ "Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 11". Hansard. ACT Legislative Assembly. 26 September 2002. p. 3326. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
References
- Ashworth, Norman (2000). How Not to Run an Air Force! The Higher Command of the Royal Australian Air Force During the Second World War: Volume 1. Canberra: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-26550-X. Archived from the originalon 6 October 2011.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1991). The Third Brother: The Royal Australian Air Force 1921–39. North Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-04-442307-1. Archived from the originalon 16 December 2013.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1995). The RAAF in Vietnam: Australian Air Involvement in the Vietnam War 1962–1975. St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86373-305-1.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1996). Soldiers in Politics: The Impact of the Military on Australian Political Life and Institutions. St. Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-185-4.
- Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin (1995). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History. South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-551784-9.
- Jacobs, John (1999). Up and Away: Memoirs of a Pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force 1950–1981 (PDF). Canberra: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-26534-8.
- OCLC 246580191.
- Parnell, Neville; Boughton, Trevor (1988). Flypast: A Record of Aviation in Australia. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-07918-5.
- Sandell, Arthur (2001). Dicing With Death – An Airman's Account of His Training and Operations Against Japan. Canberra: Aerospace Centre, ISBN 0-642-26559-3.
- Stephens, Alan (1995). Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-42803-1.
- Stephens, Alan, ed. (1992). Australia's Air Chiefs: The Proceedings of the 1992 RAAF History Conference. Canberra: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-18866-1.
- Stephens, Alan (2006) [2001]. The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-555541-4.
- Stephens, Alan; Isaacs, Jeff (1996). High Fliers: Leaders of the Royal Australian Air Force. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-45682-5.
External links
- The Hon Michael McHugh AC: Foreword to Anne Twomey, The Chameleon Crown Archived 30 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- National Archives of Australia: Revocation of the Dormant Commission of Sir Colin Hannah – Governor of Queensland