John Henry Hanne - A Biography

B[Author]HanneJHv1.pdf

Title

John Henry Hanne - A Biography
Radnorshire's First WW2 RAF Casualty

Description

A biography of Jack, as he was known, from his birth to his early death.

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Six printed sheets

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This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Identifier

B[Author]HanneJHv1

Transcription

John Henry Hanne
Radnorshire’s first WW2 RAF casualty.

John Henry Hanne the dashing young airman pictured here was actually born in Lambeth on the 15th of February 1913, his mother however had been born in Llandrindod wells and the young John Henry known as ‘Jack’ was to return here at a young age.

Jack’s Mother, Elizabeth Langford had been born to a Radnorshire labourer and his wife in number 4 Denham Terrace at the Ridgebourne in Llandrindod Wells in 1888. As was common in those days the young Elizabeth entered service as a housemaid.

We know very little about her time in service, or how she came to be in Cardigan so far from home.

It was here that Elizabeth met the man that was to change her life drastically.

Henry Hanne was German immigrant who had come to England in November 1907. He had worked in several large hotels in Germany as a waiter. He first comes to our notice, as the Butler for the eccentric American, Doctor John Walter Pritchard (Dentist to the Prince of Wales). Dr Pritchard had been a Captain in the American civil war leading the 160th New York Volunteer’s. He later settled first in London and then bought for the princely sum of £1325 the Priory estate in Cardigan.

According to Henry Hanne Dr Pritchard was an eccentric woman hater who would only allow men servants in the house. This seems an odd statement in view of the fact that several female servants are recorded at the Priory both before and during Henry’s time.

When exactly Henry started work at the Priory is unclear, it is also unclear just how he came to meet Elizabeth Langford. They were married on the 24th of January 1911

At the outbreak of World War 1 Henry Hanne (along with thousands of other foreign nationals) was interred at Knockaloe camp on the Isle of Man.

Elizabeth now had three children by Henry Hanne, her daughter May (born1912), John Henry ‘Jack’ (born1913) and his younger brother Frederick (born1914). life must have been very hard for a young Welsh woman married to a man considered to be the enemy but far more serious matters were to arise.

Elizabeth may have been subject to certain restrictions herself as the wife of

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an alien and it seems that she had tried to get some form of legal document from the Swiss embassy. The document she did get back was not at all what she had been expecting.

Henry, it seems had a wife still living in Germany.

Henry Hanne defends himself to the internment camp Commander by claiming that his former employer Dr. Pritchards wife had not wanted the men only servant arrangement to continue on her husbands death and had urged Henry to be married, even apparently persuading him that nobody would find out in Wales if he did not gossip about his German wife.

There are many holes in Henry’s story one being that Dr Pritchard had died after his marriage to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth came back to Llandrindod Wells, with her children and rather bravely did not call for her marriage to be annulled, but chose instead to prosecute Henry for Bigamy. A course of action that could have led to the whole story becoming public.

Elizabeth did find happiness again when she married Mr. Frank Floyd of Rhayader in 1920.

We now jump forward to the 14th of January 1930 and Jack Hanne aged 16 years and 334 days has decided to enlist in the RAF. With one war far behind and another one not yet on the horizon, this must have seemed like a glamorous and exciting career. Jack may even have been inspired by seeing one of the displays on the Ddole air field.

Jack is listed as scholar and although he enters service as a boy aircraft apprentice his service record shows that he was recommended for pilot training very early on. He would have been too young at this point to take up flying but he was obviously judged bright enough.

On his 18th birthday (15th feb 1931) Jack enlists in the RAF full time and for the duration of 12 years.

It must have been quite an achievement for a young man from a small country town with a slightly unpromising start in life to get into the RAF.

A small scrap of paper kept in a family scrapbook notes the J.H. Hanne proceeded to R.A.F. Halton Camp. Bucks. Consequent on his success in the A/A competitive examination November last.

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Jack starts his aircraft apprentice training with No 2 wing at Halton. Halton was the primary establishment for taking boy trainees, they became affectionately known as the ‘Trenchard Brat’s’, after Lord Trenchard who initiated the scheme. Many of the Brats went on to become non commissioned officers and were praised for their high standard of training.

Photographs taken at the time show the young Jack Hanne as a suave and debonair young man who carries himself with an air of easy confidence. He was only of average height (5Ft 5 and half inches) but he had a distinctive shock of auburn hair with brown eyes and a fresh complexion.

The apprentices were trained not just in their technical trades but in all aspects of military discipline. Initially as a boy apprentice Jack would have had an eight thirty to four thirty day in a class room or work shop, but the boys were kept well occupied for the rest of the time with very many extra curricular activities including gliding, participating in a project to build and fly a small light aircraft as well as all manner of sports, music, literature and debating societies.

Halton (a country estate initially requisitioned off the Rothschild’s, then eventually purchased at Lord Trenchards insistence) was chosen specifically for it [sic] close proximity to London and all the main train routes. Lord Trenchard felt that it would benefit the possibly homesick boys if their parents could visit them on the weekends. Presumably he did not expect apprentices Like Jack to come from so far away. Also he was not adverse to allowing them the use of the cinemas and dance halls on the weekends, provided they conducted themselves in the appropriate manner.

Jack may not have received many visits from Llandrindod Wells but it seems quite likely that he found time to get back here himself. Jack although stationed the other side of the country finds his future wife right back here in Llandrindod Wells.

Jack Hanne and Nancy Vera Gilford had grown up in the same street in Llandrindod Wells and many of the photographs in Nancy’s album show the two of them enjoying time together in and around the town, some dated as early as 1932. Maybe Jack was waiting to ‘pop the question’ until he was sure of his prospects. They were clearly in love and Jack would write long letters, (often including poetry), home to Nancy.

Jack rises through the ranks relatively quickly, his work is more often than not described as superior and his character as very good. He completes his training at Halton not only is he a qualified fitter and armorer but he has been judged to have the technical ability of a non commissioned officer, i.e. He would be a foreman or supervisor.

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Then on the 1st of April 1935 Jacks dream is realized, as he sets off for R.A.F. Wittering for the start of his pilot training.

On the 6th of January 1936 Jack is awarded a good conduct stripe, this can be seen on the sleeve of his uniform in some of the photographs. It is followed later that year by a further promotion, this time to Sergeant (unpaid) and what was probably Jacks first trip overseas. He is sent to R.A.F. Hinaidi in Iraq (just outside Baghdad) to serve with no. 70 bomber training squadron, he is among a small group sent out to train on twin engined heavy Bombers.

Hinaidi was a former WW1 British army base that had been requisitioned by the R.A.F. in 1922.

Jack’s travels don’t end there he somehow ends up in Karachi (1482 miles away from Hinaidi) where in March 1937 he is finally examined and confirmed as a full paid Sergeant. His exam marks are all good he has been marked as skilled in his trade and now he is also shown to be a proficient pilot. It must have been a very proud Jack who came home on his next leave.

Jack has now been in the R.A.F. for seven years and he and Nancy seem to have been courting for at least five of those, maybe his brief period in Karachi over 5000 miles away from Nancy finally spurred him on to propose.

Jack and Nancy tied the knot at Holy Trinity church in Llandrindod Wells on the 29th of August 1938. Nancy was given away by her Father and with her sister June and Jack’s sister May acting as her bridesmaids. Jacks only brother Fred is his best man, Jacks Mother (now Mrs Floyd) also attended.

They then went on to a reception at the Louis cafe in Llandrindod Wells, before Jack and Nancy left for a honeymoon in Skegness.

Nancy is now a fully fledged service wife and after their honeymoon she moves away from Llandrindod wells to be near her Husband. Their new address is listed as 7 Edgar avenue Stowmarket in Suffolk just 6 miles away from where Jack is stationed at R.A.F. Wattisham. Jack is now flying Blenheim’s an aircraft he both liked and was proficient in flying.

On the 24th of July 1939 Jack took off from Wattisham airfield in a Blenheim he was ferrying to Hullavington his aircraft started to lose power somewhere around Debden. Unfortunately, his approach was baulked by a Hurricane and in turning away he was unable to avoid overshooting what was now a very tight landing area, finishing up in a wood.

By September that year, Britain was at War. For some, this period known as the phony War, was little different from their peace time activities. For Jack

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however the War was to start almost immediately.

At 4.pm on September the 4th 1939 Jack was part of a raid on the Kiel Canal led by Squadron Leader Kenneth Christopher Doran. This was officially the first bombing raid of world war two.

Jack and four other Blenheim’s from 110 squadron were accompanied by Blenheim’s from 107 and 149 squadrons as well as Wellingtons from No 9 squadron.

Not all the aircraft returned safely, among the dead was Sgt Albert Stanley Price, a navigator who was the first Canadian killed in World War Two.

A few days later Jack was included in a small group of airmen presented to King George the VI by Sir Kingsly Wood the Minister for Air. His Squadron Leader K.C Doran was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

We now come to a slight gap in Jack’s career. An undated note in Nancy’s scrap book, written by Squadron Leader K.C Doran, leads us to understand that Jack is in some way judged unfit to fly and is obviously disagreeing with the decision. A search of the operational record book can shed no light on why he has been posted unfit.

After their success at Kiel, 110 Squadron entered a very quiet period. A combination of bad weather and lack of enemy activity led to very few operational sorties. The squadron spent the next few months on standby but not doing very much. Their flying mainly consisted of bombing practice and training flights.

Jack is back on flying duties by the 9th of January 1940 with Sgt George Llewellyn Williams as his Navigator and AC1 Edwin Vick as his Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, he flies Blenheim Mk IV serial number L4859.

By Now Jack is a very experienced pilot with 568 flying hours under his belt, 212 of these hours were on Blenheim’s.

110 Squadron is part of the duty Squadron. This mainly consisted of flying over the channel looking out for enemy ships or aircraft in what was known as a sweep.

On the 10th Jan 1940 Jack along with 11 other Blenheim’s sets out on a sweep over the North Sea.

The Blenheim’s were attacked by 5 Messerschmidt 110’s. All the Blenheim’s dived to sea level and tried making it back to base. The ME 110’s kept attacking using the two machine guns and two cannons that each ME 110 was equipped with.

The Air gunners in the Blenheim’s fought back, quickly damaging one of the

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ME110’s, another was seen to crash into the sea and a further badly damaged one landed in Denmark.

LAC John Tippet Wireless operator/Air Gunner was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for his efforts that day in keeping the ME 110’s at bay. The ME 110’s attacked the formation for 25 minutes. Tippett was flying in the Blenheim on the extreme right of the formation, whereas Jack was flying the Blenheim on the extreme left.

Jack’s Blenheim had already been hit and he had lost one of his engines. Desperately Jack tried to get the aircraft home as the battle was still raging.

The remaining two ME 110’s kept attacking. Jack with only one engine was now losing speed and getting far behind the rest. Seeing a target of opportunity an ME 110’s flown by Hauptman Wolfgang Falck of 2/ZG76 (German equivalent of a fighter wing) attacked again and the Blenheim along with Jack, Williams and Vick was seen to crash into the sea and explode.

Jack Hanne was 26 years old.

Initially the crew were reported as missing. The news must have been almost unbearable for Nancy, who was now three months pregnant.

She kept the newspaper cuttings both about him being listed as missing and eventually telling of his death. Probably the scrap book was intended to show the unborn child how brave its’ father had been.

Nancy returned to her parents home in Llandrindod Wells. The local paper tells of his death and of him being Radnorshire’s first Airman to be killed. Radnorshire Urban District Council sent a letter of condolence, to Nancy and to Jack’s Mother.

Nancy gave birth to Jack’s daughter Jacqueline Anne on the 14th of July 1940. Sadly the baby only lived for 2 days. She is buried in Llandrindod wells cemetery.

Nancy Lived on and even married again (Mr. Sidney Morgan) but she had no more children. She was buried with Jacqueline in 1996. She was 82 years old.

Jack, having crashed into the sea has no known grave but is remembered on panel 15 of the Runnymede memorial and by his nephews, Peter Hanne son of Jack’s brother Frederick and by Clive Coombes the son of Nancy’s sister June. Both have very kindly lent personal items that belonged to Jack and Nancy to this exhibition.

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Citation

“John Henry Hanne - A Biography,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 27, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/37205.

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