Hail the war hero
Forces veteran appeals for family of remarkable airman to join Victory in Europe Day celebrations
SERGEANT John Hannah was a World War II hero who bravely tried to put out a fire on his aircraft.
He suffered horrific injuries as he tried to keep the bomber in the air and later died from his injuries.
John is to be honoured at celebrations in May to mark VE Day but organisers are struggling to find a member of his family for the unveiling.
Please come forward and make it a special day – for John’s memory and all of us who owe him and his comrades so much.
A FORGOTTEN hero who won the Victoria Cross in World War II after fighting an inferno on his aircraft is to be honoured in Scotland.
Sergeant John Hannah died, aged 25, after suffering horrific injuries as he battled to keep the bomber in the air.
He put out a fire on the aircraft, which was riddled with shrapnel and bullets, during a raid over Nazioccupied Belgium in 1940.
Now, forces veteran Terry McCourt wants to trace John’s family for the unveiling, a tribute to him on Victory in Europe (VE) Day in May.
Former paratrooper Terry, from Glasgow, said: “We’re keen to find a family member of John’s so they can be guest of honour at the event. We have five trees and plaques being unveiled to honour veterans of the Army, RAF and Royal Navy. One will honour a living veteran of the Highland Light Infantry, John Lamont, who fought on D Day in 1944.
“But we’ve struggled to find anyone to represent John. He was from Paisley and won the Victoria Cross when he was just 18.
“He was one of the youngest VC winners of the war. It would be amazing to have his family there to see him being remembered.
“He was a true hero and paid the ultimate price for his bravery, with damage to his lungs contributing to his death in 1947.”
In the fateful mission, John was part of a team targetting a flotilla of German invasion barges in Antwerp.
Despite taking heavy fire from forces on the ground, his plane managed to drop bombs over the target.
However, a shell exploded in the plane’s bomb bay, sending shrapnel ripping through its mid-section and engulfing his plane in flames.
As some of the aircraft’s metal melted in the heat, two crew baled from the plane but John fought the flames and tossed spare ammunition overboard to prevent it from exploding.
He then helped the pilot guide the damaged plane back to base at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.