LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Hector Roy HANNAFORD DFC
Service No: 407427
Born: Gumeracha SA, 9 June 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 October 1940
Unit: No. 45 Group (RAF)
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 9 June 1944 (Citation Title: No. 450 Squadron)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 45 Group Dakota aircraft KN 409), Scotland, 28 March 1945, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Dudley William and Susanna Francis Vera Hannaford, of Blackwood, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Cudlee Creek SA
Remembered: Panel 4, Column 3, Ottawa Memorial, Ontario, Canada
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
DFC Citation: Flying Officer Hector Roy Hannaford has completed a very arduous tour of duty as a member of 450 Squadron (RAAF). He has attacked many enemy installations destroying gun posts and on one occasion being responsible for the beaching of an armed cruiser in a Yugoslavian harbour. In March 1944, he secured an effective hit on a railway bridge in enemy territory which destroyed a 50 foot span. He has proved himself an excellent leader and has always completed his sorties with keenness and determination.
Dakota KN409 was on a delivery flight from Dorval, Goose, West 1, Reykjavik (Iceland) to Prestwick, Scotland. Its ETA at Prestwick was 0813Z on 28 March 1945. The last radio contact with the aircraft was at 0929Z on 28 March when the aircraft was over the cone at Prestwick at 4000 feet and the normal instructions were given for the aircraft to let down on the south west leg of the radio range and to advise further when contact was made. No further contact was made with the aircraft. Later various items of documents and mail were recovered from the beach between Troon and Irvine, Ayrshire, which were identified with KN409. It was presumed that the aircraft crashed in the sea 4 miles west of Irvine, with no trace of the crew being found.
The crew members of KN409 were:
Flight Lieutenant Hector Roy Hannaford DFC (407427) (Co-Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Alexander Donald Cyril Jamieson (1391066) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Warrant Officer Patrick Lavin (981512) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Flying Officer John William Newman (J/38970) (RCAF) (Pilot)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/120/503
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002