Description

For sale – group of 4 medals to Lieutenant H. A. Hannay, 7th Battalion, South Wales Borderers, later Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force. During WW2 he was serving as a Major & 2nd in command of the 56th Battalion (Balham) Home Guard.

1914 – 15 Star, impressed named 2.LIEUT. H.A. HANNAY. S.WALES BORD.; British War and Victory Medals, impressed named LIEUT. H. A. HANNAY. & WW2 Defence Medal. Medals display court mounted & come with copied service records (Army and RFC), M.I.C, medal rolls, Casualty book, newspaper article and extensive research.

Major Hubert Arthur Hannay was born in Peckham, London, on 13/8/1888. A Clerk by trade, he enlisted with the 1st Middlesex Volunteer Rifle Corps from 1904 until 1908 when he transferred to the 9th County of London Territorials in which he served until 31/3/1910 (time expired). The 1911 census records him as being employed as a Clerk with an advertising company.

He attested with the 17th (Empire) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers on 9/8/1914 and after 152 days of Home Service, was discharged to a commission in the 7th Battalion, South Wales Borderers on 4/2/1915. 2nd Lieutenant Hannay was one of the 7th Battalion’s original officers who landed in France 6/9/1915. They spent about six weeks in the lines near the Somme but were re deployed to Salonika 6/10/1915, arriving in mid November 1915. At that stage the Battalion was involved in building the ‘Bird Cage’. He was admitted to 28th General Hospital 26/8/1916, suffering from dysentery and on the 16/2/1917 he was sent back to England via Malta on the Llandovery Castle, arriving in Avonmouth on 6/9/1917 still suffering from dysentery, furunculosis, and debility. He was attached to the 3rd Battalion, South Wales Borderers in Hightown, Liverpool whilst he was recovering. He received a letter copied to his regimental address on 15 January 1918 from the Commandant of the Cadet Brigade, R.F.C. at Hastings containing the following:

‘Owing to the serious shortage of Squadron Officers for duty with the R.F.C. Cadet Wings, the services of this officer are specially applied for. If there is no objection, will A.G4 issue orders for him to report to Headquarters, Cadet Brigade, Hastings, forthwith, for duty as a Squadron Officer.’ Signed by the Commandant, Hastings.’

It is possible that his services were requested due to his clerical background, On the 24/1918 he joined the Royal Flying Corps as a Squadron Officer with the Cadet Wing (which became the Cadet Wing of the Royal Air Force on its formation on 1 April 1918). Cadet Wings were the training establishments for officer cadets where they got a grounding in R.A.F. history, drill etc before moving on to various schools of instruction.

The 1939 Census records him as living in London working as a manager of a printing coy, and a Royal Air Force Reserve Officer. A Newspaper article from the Norwood News 6/6/1941 records him as a Major serving as the 2.I.C. of the 56th Battalion (Balham) Home Guard, this is confirmed on the Home Guard List 1941 London District.

Major Hannay died in Battersea, London, in 1963.