Colin Hannah

Air Marshal Sir Colin Hannah KCMG KCVO KBE CB
Official RAAF portrait of Sir Colin Hannah
19th Governor of Queensland
In office 21 March 1972 – 20 March 1977
Monarch	Queen Elizabeth II
Premier	Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Preceded by	Sir Alan Mansfield
Succeeded by	Sir James Ramsay
Personal details
Born	22 December 1914 Menzies, Western Australia
Died	22 May 1978(1978-05-22) (aged 63) Surfers Paradise, Queensland
Nationality	Australian
Profession	Air Force officer
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Years of service	1935–1972
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands	No. 6 Squadron (1943) No. 71 Wing (1944) Western Area (1945–46) RAAF Amberley (1949–51) Operational Command (1965–67) Support Command (1968–69) Chief of the Air Staff (1970–72)
Battles/wars	World War II Malayan Emergency Vietnam War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath

Air Marshal Sir Colin Thomas Hannah KCMG, KCVO, KBE, CB (22 December 1914 – 22 May 1978) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and a Governor of Queensland. Born in Western Australia, he was a member of the Militia before joining the RAAF in 1935. After graduating as a pilot, Hannah served in Nos. 22 and 23 Squadrons from 1936 to 1939. During the early years of World War II, he was the RAAF's Deputy Director of Armament. He then saw action in the South West Pacific as commander of No. 6 Squadron and, later, No. 71 Wing, operating Bristol Beaufort bombers. By 1944 he had risen to the rank of group captain, and at the end of the war was leading Western Area Command in Perth.

Hannah was Senior Air Staff Officer at RAF Far East Air Force Headquarters, Singapore, during the Malayan Emergency in the 1950s. His other post-war appointments included Deputy Chief of the Air Staff from 1961 to 1965, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Operational Command (later Air Command) from 1965 to 1967, and AOC Support Command from 1967 to 1969. In January 1970 he was promoted to air marshal and became Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), the RAAF's senior position. Knighted in 1971, Hannah concluded his three-year appointment as CAS a year early, in 1972, to become Governor of Queensland. He attracted controversy in this role after making outspoken comments regarding the Federal government of the day. Hannah retired in 1977, and died the following year.

Early career

Flying Officer Hannah (front row, right) as adjutant at RAAF Station Pearce, 1938

Born on 22 December 1914 in Menzies, Western Australia, Hannah was the son of Thomas Howard Hannah, a public servant who later became a magistrate in Perth, and his wife Johanna. Hannah attended the Hale School, leaving with a Junior Certificate in 1930.^[1] He served with a 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][2]

Hannah joined the Royal Australian Air Force on 15 January 1935 as an air cadet at RAAF Station Point Cook, Victoria. After graduating from No. 1 Flying Training School (No. 1 FTS), he obtained his commission as a pilot officer in July 1936.^[2] His first posting was to No. 22 Squadron at RAAF Station Richmond, New South Wales. Promoted to flying officer, he was appointed adjutant with the newly formed No. 23 Squadron at RAAF Station Laverton, Victoria, in May 1937. Hannah accompanied the squadron, which operated Hawker Demons and Avro Ansons, to its new location at the recently opened RAAF Station Pearce, Western Australia, in March 1938. On 5 January 1939, he married Patricia Gordon at Claremont; the couple had a daughter.^[1][3] Having specialised as an instructor, he then served on the staff of No. 1 FTS, Point Cook.^[4][5]

World War II

Beauforts of Nos. 6 and 8 Squadron at Goodenough Island, November 1943

Promoted to flight lieutenant, Hannah was posted to Britain in July 1939 to undertake a Royal Air Force armaments training course, which he had barely begun when war was declared on 3 September. He completed the course, and returned to Australia in March 1940. After brief postings to No. 1 Armament School, Point Cook, and Station Headquarters Laverton, he was assigned to Air Force Headquarters, Melbourne, in May. He was made an acting squadron leader in September 1940 and became Deputy Director of Armament the next year. In April 1942, Hannah was promoted to temporary wing commander.^[1] He undertook a general reconnaissance course the following May.^[4]

In November 1943, Hannah was given command of No. 6 Squadron at Milne Bay, Papua, flying Bristol Beaufort light bombers.^[2][6] While on a familiarisation flight he came under friendly fire from anti-aircraft guns on Kiriwina Island, but managed to avoid serious injury. He was raised to temporary group captain in December, and took charge of No. 71 Wing the following month.^[1] Throughout Hannah's time in Papua, his Beauforts in No. 6 Squadron and No. 71 Wing participated 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.^[7][8] The same month, however, 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] He was appointed Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at Headquarters Western Area Command, Perth, in September 1944, and assumed control of the formation from June 1945 to May 1946.^[2]

Post-war RAAF career

Hannah was posted to Britain in 1947, undertaking study at RAF Staff College, Andover, and serving as SASO at RAAF Overseas Headquarters in London. Returning to Australia, in May 1949 he assumed command of RAAF Station Amberley, Queensland. From August 1950 he also held temporary command of the base's Avro Lincoln heavy bomber formation, No. 82 Wing.^[1][5][9] Promoted to substantive group captain in October 1950, Hannah was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1951 New Year Honours.^[10][11] In September that year he was made Director of Personnel Services, which became Director-General of Personnel in July 1952. As aide-de-camp to Queen Elizabeth II, Hannah was heavily involved in planning the RAAF's part in the 1954 Royal Tour of Australia.^[1] He was raised to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours that June.^[12]

In 1955, Hannah attended the Imperial Defence College in London, and was promoted air commodore.^[1] He was posted to Singapore as SASO, RAF Far East Air Force Headquarters, in January 1956, handling counter-insurgency operations during the Malayan Emergency.^[2] Hannah's "distinguished service" during the conflict was recognised with his appointment as a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in June 1959.^[13] As Director-General of Plans and Policy from March 1959, he was responsible for commencing transfer of the Department of Air from Melbourne to Canberra. In December 1961, Hannah was appointed Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, gaining promotion to acting air vice marshal in May 1962; the rank was made substantive in January 1963.^[1] He was later described by his staff officer in this role as "brusque" and "impersonal" though not unsympathetic, his "uncommunicative" manner stemming from a preference to "do his own research, think out the substance of his project submissions, dictate to his stenographer, then amend to his own satisfaction", rather than delegate.^[14] Hannah served as Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Operational Command (now Air Command) from February 1965 to December 1967, during which time the RAAF's fighter squadrons completed their conversion from the CAC Sabre to the supersonic Dassault Mirage III.^[1][15] He then became AOC Support Command, responsible for training and maintenance in the Air Force. Throughout his career to this point he was noted for his energy and drive.^[4][16]

Group Captain Hannah (right) with Air Vice Marshal Hancock (left) and Group Captain Carr, commanding No. 91 Wing RAAF, in Japan, 1952

Hannah was promoted to air marshal on 1 January 1970, succeeding Air Marshal Sir Alister Murdoch as Chief of the Air Staff.^[1][2] 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. In the event, the post again went to an Army officer, and the Federal government ordered the withdrawal of the RAAF presence in Vietnam during Hannah's tour as CAS.^[17] 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. However, 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".^[18] 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.^[19]

In the 1971 New Year Honours, Hannah was raised to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).^[20] His tour as CAS coincided with the RAAF's Golden Jubilee, celebrated in March and April that year. He personally organised a fly-past of two US Air Force F-111s at air shows marking the occasion, generating favourable coverage to counteract the poor publicity surrounding the type's long-delayed entry into Australian service.^[21] However, he was also involved in two controversial decisions the same year. Firstly, he was a member of the committee to choose an Air Force memorial to be located on ANZAC Parade, Canberra. The selected design was an abstract sculpture that, according to official RAAF historian Alan Stephens, reflected "the selection panel's comprehensive failure to understand the nature of air force service".^[22] Secondly, Hannah commissioned a replacement for the Air Force's winter uniform, traditionally a shade "somewhere between royal and navy blue" that had been chosen personally by the RAAF's first CAS, Wing Commander (later Air Marshal Sir) Richard Williams, to distinguish it from the lighter Royal Air Force colour.^[22] The uniform approved by Hannah, an all-purpose middle-blue suit, was the object of numerous complaints in the ensuing years, and reverted to Williams' original colour and design in 2000.^[23]

Governor

Viceregal styles of Sir Colin Hannah
Reference style	His Excellency
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Alternative style	Sir

Hannah's planned three-year term as Chief of the Air Staff was cut short by some ten months when he accepted the Governorship 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][24] He succeeded Sir Alan Mansfield.^[25] While he claimed not to have actively sought the governorship, Hannah 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.^[26][27]

Described as "a man with the flexibility of mind and ability to mix with people, so necessary for a Governor",^[1] Hannah was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in September 1972.^[28] The same year, he was made a Knight and Deputy Prior of the Venerable Order of Saint John. His term in office was relatively uneventful until October 1975, when he created controversy at a Brisbane Chamber of Commerce luncheon by criticising the "fumbling ineptitude" of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam's Federal Labor government for placing Australia in "its present economic state".^[1][27] In response, the Federal government advised the Queen to revoke Hannah's dormant commission to serve in place of the Governor-General if the latter was absent. Following his succession as Prime Minister in November 1975, Malcolm Fraser attempted to have the dormant commission reinstated, but the British government refused to recommend this to the Queen, citing lack of impartiality on Hannah's part. Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen made it known that he planned to extend the Governor's term, but the British government also refused to agree to this. While Bjelke-Peterson was prepared to pursue the matter, Hannah declined to let his name be put forward again, and his tenure lapsed on 20 March 1977.^[27][29] He was succeeded by Sir James Ramsay.^[25]

Retirement and death

Hannah retired following completion of his term as Governor of Queensland.^[4] He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in August 1977 (backdated to March) as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee visit to Australia.^[30] Hannah died of a heart attack on 22 May 1978 at his home in Surfers Paradise, Queensland. He was given a state funeral and cremated. His wife and daughter survived him.^[1] Hannah Community Park, straddling the suburbs of Fadden and Gowrie in Canberra, was established in his honour in 2002.^[31]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p} Coulthard-Clark , Australian Dictionary of Biography, pp.374–375
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Dennis et al., The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History, p.286
3. ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp.141–142
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Stephens; Isaacs, High Fliers, pp.150–152
5. ^ ^{a b} Air Marshals at Royal Australian Air Force. Retrieved on 1 May 2011.
6. ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp.99–103
7. ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp.93–96
8. ^ Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp.125–133
9. ^ "On-the-job training". The Courier-Mail (Brisbane: National Library of Australia): p. 3. 28 August 1951. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50239546. Retrieved on 1 May 2011. 
10. ^ "Air promotion". The Courier-Mail (Brisbane: National Library of Australia): p. 1. 20 October 1950. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50045561. Retrieved on 1 May 2011. 
11. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39105. p. 36. 29 December 1950. Retrieved on 22 November 2008.
12. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40189. p. 3296. 1 June 1954. Retrieved on 22 November 2008.
13. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 41739. p. 3905. 12 June 1959. Retrieved on 22 November 2008.
14. ^ Jacobs, Up and Away, pp.111–112
15. ^ Dassault Mirage III at RAAF Museum. Retrieved on 30 November 2010.
16. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp.76,454
17. ^ Coulthard-Clark, The RAAF in Vietnam, pp.79–80
18. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp.312–313
19. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p.392
20. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45263. p. 34. 31 December 1970. Retrieved on 22 November 2008.
21. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p.451
22. ^ ^{a b} Stephens, Going Solo, pp.452–453
23. ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p.305
24. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45638. p. 4071. 6 April 1972. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
25. ^ ^{a b} Governors of Queensland at The Office of the Governor, Queensland. Retrieved on 6 May 2011.
26. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p.454
27. ^ ^{a b c} Stephens, Australia's Air Chiefs, pp.31–32
28. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45776. p. 10843. 12 September 1972. Retrieved on 22 November 2008.
29. ^ "The hidden hand of her majesty". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). 10 February 2007. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-hidden-hand-of-her-majesty/2007/02/09/1170524304007.html?page=fullpage. Retrieved on 1 May 2011. 
30. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 47292. p. 10154. 5 August 1977. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
31. ^ "Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 11 Page 3326". Hansard. ACT Legislative Assembly. 26 September 2002. p. 3326. http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/Hansard/2002/week11/3326.htm. Retrieved on 23 November 2008. 

References

• Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1996). "Hannah, Sir Colin Thomas". In Ritchie, John. Australian Dictionary of Biography Volume 14. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 052284717X. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A140427b.htm. 
• 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 1863733051. 
• Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1991). The Third Brother: The Royal Australian Air Force 1921–39. North Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0044423071. http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Publications/Details/437/The-Third-Brother-The-Royal-Australian-Air-Force-1921-39.aspx. 
• Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin (1995). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History. South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195517849. 
• Jacobs, John (1999). Up and Away: Memoirs of a Pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force 1950–1981. Canberra: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0642265238. http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/admin/productfiles/publication/materials/240/htg11_ocr300.pdf. 
• Odgers, George (1968) [1957]. Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume II – Air War Against Japan 1943–1945. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 246580191. http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/second_world_war/volume.asp?levelID=67913. 
• Stephens, Alan (1995). Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0644428031. http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Publications/Details/214/Going-Solo-The-Royal-Australian-Air-Force-19461971.aspx. 
• Stephens, Alan (ed.) (1992). Australia's Air Chiefs: The Proceedings of the 1992 RAAF History Conference. Canberra: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0642188661. http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Publications/Details/199/RAAF-History-Conference-1992-Australias-Air-Chiefs.aspx. 
• Stephens, Alan (2006) [2001]. The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195555414. 
• Stephens, Alan; Isaacs, Jeff (1996). High Fliers: Leaders of the Royal Australian Air Force. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0644456825. 

External links

• The Hon Michael McHugh AC, Foreword to Anne Twomey, The Chameleon Crown

Military offices
Preceded by Air Vice Marshal Alister Murdoch	Air Officer Commanding Operational Command 1965–1967	Succeeded by Air Vice Marshal Keith Hennock
Preceded by Air Marshal Sir Alister Murdoch	Chief of the Air Staff 1970–1972	Succeeded by Air Marshal Sir Charles Read
Government offices
Preceded by Sir Alan Mansfield	Governor of Queensland 1972–1977	Succeeded by Sir James Ramsay

Persondata
Name	Hannah, Colin Thomas
Alternative names	Air Marshal Sir Colin Thomas Hannah
Short description	Royal Australian Air Force Chief of the Air Staff and Governor of Queensland
Date of birth	22 December 1914
Place of birth	Menzies, Western Australia
Date of death	22 May 1978
Place of death	Surfers Paradise, Queensland