Colin Thomas Hannah KCMG KCVO (1914 - 1978)

Born 22 Dec 1914 in Menzies, Western Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Patricia Treacey Gwenyth (Gordon) Hannah — married 5 Jan 1939 in Claremont, Western Australia, Australia

Died 22 May 1978 at age 63 in Surfer's Paradise, Queensland, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kenneth Evans [send private message]

Preceded by Sir Alan James Mansfield KCMG KCVO

19th Governor of Queensland 21st March 1972 to 20th March 1977

Succeeded by Commodore Sir James Maxwell Ramsay KCMG KCVO CBE DSC

Biography

Colin Hannah KCMG KCVO is Notable.

Air Marshal Sir Colin Thomas Hannah KCMG KCVO KBE KStJ CB rose to be the Chief of the Air Staff, the most senior position in the Royal Australian Air Force, and was appointed 19th Governor of Queensland. As a career Air Force Officer, Sir Colin was a veteran of the Second World War, Malayan Emergency and Vietnam War.

Colin Thomas Hannah was born on 22nd December 1914 at Menzies, near Coolgardie, Western Australia. He was the older surviving son of Thomas Hannah, a magistrate, and Johanna Frame.^[1] He left Hale School with a Junior Certificate in 1930 all that was then required in order to obtain good jobs. He was stocky in build, with light blue eyes, a fair complexion and straw-coloured hair. In February 1933, he enlisted in an Australian Militia unit, the 8th Field Artillery Brigade. Soon afterward, he gained employment as a clerk in the Crown Law Department of the Western Australian State Public Service. So began a lifetime of service to his community and country. He was accepted into the Royal Australian Air Force as an Air Cadet in January 1935.

Colin returned to Western Australia as a Flying Officer, and promptly married Patricia Gordon on 5th January 1939 in Christ Church Church of England (Anglican Church), Claremont, Western Australia. They had one daughter.

Air Force career

Colin Hannah KCMG KCVO is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Royal Australian Air Force 1935-1971
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS)

Following eighteen months as an Air Cadet at RAAF Station Point Cook, Victoria, Colin graduated in July 1936; obtaining a commission as a Pilot Officer. ^[2] His early postings were to No. 22 Squadron at RAAF Station Richmond, New South Wales, before being promoted to Flying Officer and appointed adjutant of No. 23 Squadron at RAAF Station Laverton, Victoria. In March 1938, Hannah accompanied the squadron 'home' to Western Australia, to its new location at the recently opened RAAF Station Pearce.

Promoted to Flight Lieutenant, Colin was posted to Britain in July 1939 to undertake a Royal Air Force armaments training course, which he had barely begun when the Second World War was declared on 3rd September. He completed the course, and returned to Australia in March 1940. Several staff appointments followed, before Colin was appointed commanding officer of No. 6 Squadron at Milne Bay, Papua, flying Bristol Beaufort light bombers. 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 1943, and assumed command of No. 71 Wing the following month. In September 1944, he was appointed senior air staff officer (SASO) at Headquarters Western Area Command, Perth.

Taking his family with him, Colin was sent to Britain in late 1946 to study at RAF Staff College, Andover. Following the two-year course, he was appointed SASO at RAAF Overseas Headquarters in London. Returning to Australia in May 1949, he assumed command of RAAF Station Amberley, Queensland. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1951 New Year Honours, in particular for his "exceptional ability" as SASO at RAAF Overseas Headquarters.^[3] In September 1951, he was made Director of Personnel Services (his position became Director-General of Personnel in July 1952). As aide-de-camp to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Colin was heavily involved in planning the RAAF's part in the 1954 Royal Tour of Australia. He was raised to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours that June.^[4]

In 1955, Colin attended the Imperial Defence College in London, and was promoted to Air Commodore. He was posted to Singapore as SASO, RAF Far East Air Force Headquarters, in January 1956, handling counter-insurgency operations during the Malayan Emergency. His "distinguished service" during the conflict was recognised with his appointment as a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in June 1959. ^[5] As Director-General of Plans and Policy from March 1959, he was responsible for commencing the Department of Air's relocation from Melbourne to Canberra. In December 1961, Colin was appointed Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, receiving promotion to acting Air Vice Marshal in May 1962. He 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. His tenure also saw the deployment of the first Australian helicopters to the Vietnam War; UH-1 Iroquois of No. 9 Squadron.

Colin was promoted to Air Marshal on 1st January 1970, and succeeded Air Marshal Sir Alister Murdoch as Chief of the Air Staff. The Federal government ordered the withdrawal of the RAAF presence in Vietnam during Hannah's tour as CAS. He 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. In the 1971 New Year Honours, Colin was raised to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). ^[6]

Governor of Queensland

Sir Colin Hannah encouraging young people[7]

On 21st March 1972 Sir Colin Hannah became the first RAAF Officer to receive a vice-regal appointment as he took up his appointment as the 19th Governor of Queensland. ^[8][9] Chris Coulthard-Clarke describes Colin as he took office as "a young thinking man of action . . . an experienced administrator with a no-nonsense reputation . . . a man with the flexibility of mind and ability to mix with people, so necessary for a Governor". ^[10] One comment made at a businessmen's luncheon later that year has coloured his term and caused the government and the Queen to not extend his term in 1977. The comment was deemed to be of a political nature, when the vice regal position is intended to be impartial and 'above politics'. ^[11]

Sir Colin gave his patronage to many Queensland community organisations. One such was The Boys' Brigade, to whom he annually invited Queen's Badge recipients, known as Queen's Men, to a reception at Governmment House, Brisbane, at which he presented the highly-prized awards and encouraged them to continue on their life of service, skills atttainment, sense of achievement and faith development.

Retirement

remembrance plaque

Sir Colin retired to his home at Surfers Paradise, on Queensland's Gold Coast, in March 1977 at just 62 years of age. Unable to project himself into another 'driving passion' he passed away as a result of a heart attack at home on 22nd May 1978. He was given a state funeral and his ashes were interred at Mount Thompson Memorial Park, Holland Park, Queensland. ^[12] Sir Colin was survived by Lady Hannah and their daughter.

Honours and Awards

• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), 1951 New Year Honours^[13]
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), 1954 Queen's Birthday Honours^[14]
• Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), 1959 Queen's Birthday Honours^[15]
• Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), 1971 New year Honours^[16]
• Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG), Sep 1972^[17]
• Knight and Deputy Prior of the Venerable Order of Saint John (KStJ), Sep 1972^[18]
• Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO), August 1977^[19]

Hannah Community Park, straddling the suburbs of Fadden and Gowrie in Canberra, was established in his honour in 2002. ^[20]

Sources

1. ↑ Western Australia Birth Index #2/1915
2. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll; accessed 27 May 2018
3. ↑ The Sydney Morning Herald - Jan 1, 1951; accessed 23 Dec 2018
4. ↑ London Gazette 1st June 1954 Supplement 40189 Page 3296; accessed 23 Dec 2018
5. ↑ London Gazette 12th June 1959 Supplement 41739 Page 3905; accessed 23 Dec 2018
6. ↑ London Gazette 31st December 1970 Supplement 45263 Page 34; accessed 23 Dec 2018
7. ↑ Sir Colin Hannah presenting The Queen's Badge to Kenneth Evans of The Grange, Queensland
8. ↑ Government House Queensland; accessed 27 May 2018
9. ↑ London Gazette: appointment as governor of Queensland
10. ↑ Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1996). "Hannah, Colin Thomas (1914–1978)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 2 Apr 2018.
11. ↑ "Queensland Governor backs move for election". The Sydney Morning Herald. Google News. 16th October 1975. Retrieved 22 Apr 2012.
12. ↑ Queensland Death Index #B87004/1978
13. ↑ London Gazette: OBE
14. ↑ London Gazette: CBE
15. ↑ London Gazette: CB
16. ↑ London Gazette: KBE
17. ↑ London Gazette: KCMG
18. ↑ London Gazette: KStJ
19. ↑ London Gazette: KCVO
20. ↑ Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 11 Hansard (26 September) . . Page.. 3326; accessed 23 Dec 2018

See also

• Clark, Chris. Hannah, Sir Colin Thomas (1914–1978). Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1996, accessed online 2 April 2018.
• Wikipedia: Colin Thomas Hannah; accessed online 2 Apr 2018.