The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-03-06
Daring Young Scot
Slaps Out Flames
In Blazing Bomber
'Bravest Deed of War Wins
Britain's Rarest Medal,
Victoria Gross.

LONDON.-A Scottish youth Of
high school age, not long since a
shoe clerk, lying in bed in British
hospital, wrote to his mother to tell
her about an experience he had had
in bombing raid over German ter
ritory.
My pilot" he related, "has had
the distinguished flying cross, so
expect shall get something, too,
but I'm glad that l am alive, with
out worrying about what am get
tingi'
His deed, however, is held by OBJ
servers to have been the most amaz-
ing IN the war to date, and the
young man has visited Buckingham
palace to receive from his king the
highest decoration which the British
empire can bestow upon its valorous
warriors-the Victoria Cross.
A year ago Sergt. John Hannah,
Is years old. wireless operator in
the royal air force, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. James Hannah of Glasgow,
was selling boots and shoes in the
great industrial city on the Clyde.
Today he is the youngest v. c. of
the war and the first Scot to receive
the honor.
Incredible CooIness.
His decoration followed an act OF
almost incredible GOODNESS and cour-
age performed during bombing
raid on enemy barge concentrations
at Antwerp on September Is.
Almost blinded when an incendi-
airy shell burst inside his plane, and
with ammunition exploding all
around him, Sergeant Hannah, sim
gle handed. fought the blaze which
threatened to destroy the aircraft in
which he was wireless operator-gun-
ner.
After a furious 10 minutes in a
blazing aerial inferno. he succeed
ed in extinguishing the flames, and
thus enabled the plane to be brought
safely home.
The official description OF Ser
geant Hannah's heroism tells how
the fire in the plane, famed by air
rushing through the holes caused by
the shell, made the bomb compart-
ment an inferno.
All the aluminium sheet metal on
the floor of Hannah's cockpit was
melted away, leaving only The cross
bearers between Hannah and the
earth thousands of feet below.
Forcing his way through the fire,
Hannah obtained two extinguishers
and fought the blaze with them.
When they were empty he continued
to beat the flames with his log book
until the fire was out.
Although badly burned about the
face and eyes, he then crawled along
the plane, found that the navigator
and rear gunner had been forced to
bale out, and Immediately took
over the navigator important maps
and log, which he handed to his
pilot.
Inconceivable Courage.
In tribute to Sergeant Hannah
the air officer commanding the
Hampden bomber group where he
is stationed said 1T is almost in
conceivable that any one could have
had the courage or the presence of
mind to tackle such a fire.
There is no doubt that Sergeant
Hannah must have realized that, by
delaying his escape, he had deprived
of his last chance of getting
away from the aircraft.
His action is certainly one OF the
clearest examples of the most con
splcuous bravery and extreme devo-
ton to duty under the most harass-
ing conditions that | have come
across"
The pilot Of the aircraft which Ser
geant Hannah saved, Pilot Officer
Clare Arthur Hovendon Conner of
Toronto, Canada. has been awarded |