James Douglas Hannay (1917 - 1942)

Born 22 Oct 1917 in Jervis Bay Village, Jervis Bay Territory, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 24 in At Sea

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Biography

James Hannay was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

James Hannay died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

James Douglas Hannay was born in 1917 at Jervis Bay, NSW. Son of Keith and Minnie Hannay.^[1]

He qualified as an electrical fitter in 1938.^[2] He was single and a salesman engineer when he enlisted in the Australian Army during WW2 on 18 Jun 1940 at Paddington, NSW. He had previously served in the Royal Australian Engineers as a Sapper (No 480082). He was allocated to the Engineers of 8th Div. as a Sapper (NX26379). He was appointed L/Cpl on 19 Jul 1940 and A/ Lance Sgt on 24 Nov 1940. He became A/Sgt on 27 Mar 1941. After a period in the Infantry Training Centre he was transferred to 1st Independent Coy on 10 May 1941. He embarked with Z Force on 12 Jul 1941, disembarking at Kavieng on the island of New Ireland in the Territory of New Guinea on 24 Jul 1941.

When the Japanese invaded New Ireland on 23 Jan 1942 he was probably with the bulk of the Coy who escaped overland to Kaut on the south coast and boarded the "Induna Star" on 29 Jan 1942 before making their way along the coast of New Ireland heading to Rabaul. When they learned that Rabaul had fallen and hearing that the Japanese had landed to the east of them (false) the ship sailed south. It was spotted by a Japanese aircraft, bombed and taken under tow by a Japanese destroyer on 02 Feb 1942 and entered Rabaul on 03 Feb 1942 where he became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul.

He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 Jul 1942 en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Index (NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 2 May 2024), index entry for JAMES D HANNAY; Father's Given Names: KEITH, Mother's Given Names: MINNIE; District: NOWRA; Registration Number: 47377/1917
2. ↑ ELECTRICAL TRADES. (1938, January 5). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved September 9, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17422891

• WW2 AIF Service record - National Archives of Australia - HANNAY JAMES DOUGLAS [James Douglas MAHANNAI ] : Service Number - NX26379 : Date of birth - 22 Oct 1917 : Place of birth - JERVIS BAY NSW : Place of enlistment - PADDINGTON NSW : Next of Kin - HANNAY KEITH - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4869464

• WW2 Army Official Photo - National Archives of Australia - HANNAY JAMES DOUGLAS : Service Number - NX26379 : Date of birth - 22 Oct 1917 : Place of birth - JERVIS BAY NSW : Place of enlistment - PADDINGTON NSW : Next of Kin - HANNAY KEITH [Black and white ID print- portrait - attached to parent item - sub item] CATEGORY: photograph FORMAT: b&w print TYPE: photographic paper STATUS: preservation material - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=31014465

• Roll of Honour - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1705415

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2615743/james-douglas-hannay/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/630969

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial: https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/hannay-james-douglas/