Rare Signed Letter of Royal Air Force Victoria Cross Winner Sergeant John Hannah VC (1921-1947)

Rare Signed Letter of Royal Air Force Victoria Cross Winner Sergeant John Hannah VC (1921-1947), the handwritten single page letter is in reply to a request of an autographed photograph of Hannah, something which he was unable to provide, “I have had so many requests I have run out of supplies and can't get any more owing to rationing of certain substances”. The letter was written from the Sergeants Mess at RAF Cottesmore on 7th July 1941. Signed to the bottom of the letter, J Hannah V.C. (Sgt). Sergeant Hannah was born in Paisley, Scotland. He joined the RAF in 1939 and was promoted to Sergeant in 1940 after qualifying as a Wireless Operator. He was posted to No 83 Squadron, flying the Handley Page Hampden Bombers as a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the air after an attack on German barges in Antwerp, Belgium on 15th September 1940. The official recommendation for the Victoria Cross was as follows, “On the night of 15th September, 1940, Sergeant Hannah was the wireless operator/air gunner in an aircraft engaged in a successful attack on an enemy barge concentration at Antwerp. It was then subjected to intense anti-aircraft fire and received a direct hit from a projectile of an explosive and incendiary nature, which apparently burst inside the bomb compartment. A fire started which quickly enveloped the wireless operators and rear gunners cockpits, and as both the port and starboard petrol tanks had been pierced, there was grave risk of the fire spreading. Sergeant Hannah forced his way through to obtain two extinguishers and discovered that the rear gunner had had to leave the aircraft. He could have acted likewise, through the bottom escape hatch or forward through the navigators hatch, but remained and fought the fire for ten minutes with the extinguishers, beating the flames with his log book when these were empty. During this time thousands of rounds of ammunition exploded in all directions and he was almost blinded by the intense heat and fumes, but had the presence of mind to obtain relief by turning on his oxygen supply. Air admitted through the large holes caused by the projectile made the bomb compartment an inferno and all the aluminium sheet metal on the floor of this airman's cockpit was melted away, leaving only the cross bearers. Working under these conditions, which caused burns to his face and eyes, Sergeant Hannah succeeded in extinguishing the fire. He then crawled forward, ascertained that the navigator had left the aircraft, and passed the latter's log and maps to the pilot. This airman displayed courage, coolness and devotion to duty of the highest order and by his action in remaining and successfully extinguishing the fire under conditions of the greatest danger and difficulty, enabled the pilot to bring the aircraft to its base.”. Sergeant Hannah received the Victoria Cross from the King at Buckingham Palace, the pilot of the aircraft receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross. At the time of the award, Hannah was the youngest recipient of the Victoria Cross for aerial operations and was the youngest to receive the medal in WW2. Hannah contracted tuberculosis in 1941, it was believed his immune system was weak due to the burns he sustained in the action which resulted in the Victoria Cross. Due to this illness he was discharged from the RAF. Hannah died in 1947 in Leicestershire. His Victoria Cross is on display at the RAF Museum, Hendon.