The superb Second World War Far East Aircraft Carrier Operations Operation Iceberg Battle of Okinawa 1st April 1945 Distinguished Service Medal and Mention in Despatches group awarded Temporary Acting Petty Officer W.M. Hannay, Royal Navy. Hannay appears to have seen extensive service aboard the aircraft carrier Indomitable, being certainly thrice recommended and twice decorated whilst aboard her whilst out in the Far East, in addition to being wounded in a Japanese air attack on 1st April 1945. Hannay saw service as the Petty Officer in charge of the Aircraft Handling Party, and it was for his services in the lead to and during Operation Banquet, the Eastern Fleet’s air attack on Padang in Sumatra on 24th August 1944, that led to him being unsuccessfully recommended for his first award, a Mention in Despatches. It was largely due to his efforts that the Aircraft Handling Party reached a high state of efficiency in a short time, which materially affected the success of the operation against Padang, Sumatra. However no award appears to have been forthcoming on this occasion. However on 1st April 1945 things would be otherwise. Indomitable’s aircraft had been launched to strike the Japanese island of Okinawa during Operation Iceberg, the codename for the Battle of Okinawa. An officer related that ‘soon after the first air strikes were launched at 0640, approaching aircraft were detected by radar. Some aircraft breached the defences and singled out their targets - mostly the flattops. A single plane came in low over HMS Indomitable, strafing the deck. Most of the flight deck operations crew were able to reach cover. However one man was killed and six others injured.’ One of those to be injured was Hannay, still in charge of the permanent aircraft handling party. Hannay was wounded in the right foot, right thigh and left knee. ‘In spite of these wounds he continued to carry out his duties on the flight deck until ordered to go below later in the day. His wounds were such that it was intended to transfer him to a hospital ship but he was so insistent in his requests to remain on board and return to duty that his request was finally granted.’ Hannay’s award of the Distinguished Service Medal was gazetted on 14th June 1945. In addition, he was then awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished service in Operation Iceberg, this being gazetted on 23rd October 1945 with the general citation for gallantry, skill and great devotion to duty whilst serving in Indomitable during the operations performed in collaboration with the United States Pacific Fleet in the capture of Okinawa and the Nansei Shoto area, over a period from 26th March 1945, to 20th April 1945. Indomitable was subsequently hit by a Japanese kamikaze aircraft on 4th May 1945, but fortunately spared any many damaged owing to her armoured flight deck.
Group of 7: Distinguished Service Medal, GVI 1st type bust; (TEMP. A/P.O. W.M. HANNAY. P/JX.274518), on wearing pin, and housed in its presentation case; 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Burma Star with Pacific Clasp; War Medal with Mention in Despatches Oakleaf.
Condition: Good Very Fine
Together with the following:
Admiralty campaign medal forwarding slip, confirming entitlement to ‘7’ awards.
Some tunic medals ribbon bars belonging to the recipient.
Two photographs showing the aircraft carrier Indomitable under attack and in action on 4th May 1945. One shows a Japanese kamikaze aircraft diving towards the aircraft carrier, the other showing a kamikaze exploding in the water off the port bow of the armoured aircraft carrier.
All campaign medals and ribbons are contained with a Boar’s Head Tobacco tin.
William Malcolm Hannay came from Erith, Kent, and saw service during the Second World War as a Temporary Acting Petty Officer (Portsmouth No.P/JX.274518) with the Royal Navy in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Far East, and appears to have seen extensive service aboard the aircraft carrier Indomitable, being certainly thrice recommended and twice decorated whilst aboard her whilst out in the Far East, in addition to being wounded in a Japanese air attack on 1st April 1945.
Indomitable returned to the Eastern Fleet in early 1944. She and Victorious launched bombers against Sumatra in August and September.
Hannay’s was first unsuccessfully recommended for a Mention in Despatches on 3rd September 1944 for Operation Banquet, the Eastern Fleet’s air attack on Padang in Sumatra on 24th August 1944. The following recommendation reads: ‘As Petty Officer in charge of the Aircraft Handling Party he has at all times shown outstanding zeal and devotion to duty, and it is largely due to his efforts that the Aircraft Handling Party has reached a high state of efficiency in a short time, which materially affected the success of the operation against Padang, Sumatra.’
Operation Banquet was a British naval operation under the command of Rear Admiral Clement Moody. The objective was to carry out aerial strikes on Japanese positions in and around Padang, on the southwestern coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on 24th August 1944. The forces involved successfully struck the primary targets of the attack, these being the Padang airfield, the Indaroeng cement works, and the harbor facilities and shipping at Emmahaven.
Indomitable was carrying 28 F6F Hellcat fighters under Lieutenant Commander T. G. C. Jameson and 28 Fairy Barracuda bombers under Lieutenant Commander E. M. Britten. Many of the pilots were inexperienced, and the British hoped that the mission would provide some additional training for them. The plan was to attack Padang airfield, Emmahaven harbour and the Indaroeng cement works. The cement works was the only facility of its kind in South-East Asia. If it was destroyed, the Japanese would be unable to construct fortifications or new buildings in the region. The raid was also supposed to draw away attention from the American landings at Hollandia and Aitae. In addition to this, photographs would be taken for reconnaissance purposes.
The strike force arrived at its position at 05:00 on 24th August. There was a light wind coming from the south-east, so the carriers had to launch while steaming at 27 knots. The battleship Howe could not keep up and temporarily fell out of formation. The first strike consisted of 20 Barracudas (10 from each carrier) with 500 lb bombs and an escort of 19 Vought F4U Corsairs. The second strike launched at 07:10, consisting of 12 Barracudas (9 from Indomitable, 3 from Victorious) with an escort of 12 Corsairs (from Victorious). The port and the airfield were never used by the Japanese, and as such there little was allotted to defend them. There was no air opposition, so the bombers had high hit percentages. A single Corsair was shot down by light anti-aircraft fire.
In spite of the accurate bombings, the targets proved to be of little strategic value. The new pilots did not gain much experience either, since they encountered only negligible resistance. The operation failed to draw any Japanese pressure off the Americans at Hollandia. The only notable success was the aerial photography from the Wildcats, which yielded excellent results. The operation "marked the first time the British used a two-wave attack by two fleet carriers."
Aircraft from Indomitable later bombed the Nicobar Islands, after which Indomitable joined up with Illustrious to attack Medan and Sumatra again on 20th December. The following year, Indomitable joined the British Pacific Fleet. On 4th January 1945 she, her sister ship Victorious and another fleet carrier Indefatigable attacked Medan. Subsequent actions were taken against Palembang and Sumatra, later in January.
It was for his services during Operation Iceberg, the codename for the Battle of Okinawa that Hannay was recommended for another award, this time a decoration higher than an M.I.D. This occurred on 1st April 1945 when Indomitable was the subject of an air attack, being strafed by a low level Japanese aircraft. This was whilst her own aircraft were off conducting strikes on the island of Okinawa. An account follows: ‘Soon after the first air strikes were launched at 0640, approaching aircraft were detected by radar. Some aircraft breached the defences and singled out their targets - mostly the flattops. A single plane came in low over HMS Indomitable, strafing the deck. Most of the flight deck operations crew were able to reach cover. However one man was killed and six others injured.
One of Indomitable’s officers related this story: ‘One deck handler was driving his little truck across the flight deck when the attack began. There was a terrible noise and you could see the marks of machine-gun bullets popping along the deck. The truck was hit and the wind-screen shattered. But he drove on and was unhurt. Either he was very brave or more likely, he hadn’t the first idea of what was happening.’ Hannay however was one of those six men who were wounded, and his actions in the aftermath of being wounded led to his award of the Distinguished Service Medal.
The recommendation made on 26th April 1945 reads as follows: ‘Petty Officer Hannay was in charge of the permanent aircraft handling party. He has shown outstanding devotion to duty, zeal and ability, and has set an excellent example to his men throughout Operation Iceberg. During the attack on the Fleet by enemy aircraft on 1st April 1945 an enemy fighter strafed the decks of Indomitable and Petty Officer Hannay was wounded in the right foot, right thigh and left knee. In spite of these wounds he continued to carry out his duties on the flight deck until ordered to go below later in the day. His wounds were such that it was intended to transfer him to a hospital ship but he was so insistent in his requests to remain on board and return to duty that his request was finally granted.’
Hannay’s ‘operational’ award of the Distinguished Service Medal was announced in the King’s Birthday Honours List as London Gazette for 14th June 1945 with the general citation: ‘for gallantry or distinguished service in the face of the enemy, or for zeal, patience and cheerfulness in dangerous waters, and for setting an example of wholehearted devotion to duty, upholding the high tradition of the Royal Navy.
Hannay was then subsequently also awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished service in Operation Iceberg, this being published in the London Gazette for 23rd October 1945 with the general citation ’for gallantry, skill and great devotion to duty whilst serving in H.M. Ships Formidable, Victorious, Indefatigable, Illustrious, and Indomitable during the operations performed in collaboration with the United States Pacific Fleet in the capture of Okinawa and the Nansei Shoto area, over a period from 26th March 1945, to 20th April 1945.’
On 4th May 1945 Indomitable was hit by a kamikaze, but her armoured flight deck saved her from serious damage. In August, with the war ending, Indomitable supported the liberation of Hong Kong, arriving after a landing party from HMCS Prince Robert. had taken the Japanese surrender. Her aircraft flew the carrier's last combat missions of the war and of her career on 31st August and 1st September against Japanese suicide boats which were attacking British forces. Indomitable returned to the UK in November 1945.
