Harold A. Hamersley
Encyclopedia
Harold Alan Hamersley MC
(6 February 1896 – December 1967) was an Australia
n World War I
flying ace
credited with 13 confirmed aerial victories. He later went on to serve in the Royal Air Force
following the war, serving in India
and reaching the rank of group captain
before retiring.
. His father was Hugh Hamersley. Following the outbreak of World War I
, Hamersley volunteered for overseas service, joining the Australian Imperial Force
on 18 February 1915. Listing his occupation as a farmer, upon enlistment he was commissioned
as a second lieutenant
and assigned to the 16th Battalion, with whom he embarked as part of the 5th Reinforcements to leave Fremantle
on board HMAT Hororata on 26 April 1915.
He fought with the battalion in the Gallipoli Campaign and suffered a bullet wound to his right thigh in August and was evacuated to Cairo
. He returned to his unit in October and remained at the front until November when he contracted influenza and was evacuated to Mudros. He returned to Gallipoli just in time to participate in the evacuation and disembarked in Alexandria
in January 1916. In March 1916 he was transferred to the 48th Battalion
as part of the expansion of the AIF that occurred at that time. Later that month he was promoted to lieutenant
and in June 1916 was transferred to France
along with the rest of his battalion, to take part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front
. In August he was temporarily seconded to the headquarters staff of the 4th Division, with the acting rank of captain.
In November 1916 he was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps
and struck off the AIF's strength. After attending the 2nd Royal Flying Corps School of Instruction, he was subsequently posted to No. 60 Squadron
on the Western Front
to pilot a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a in September 1917. On the 16th, he promptly scored his first victory, destroying an Albatros D.III
. On the 22nd, he shared a victory as he helped Captain Robert L. Chidlaw-Roberts
become an ace by driving down an Albatros D.III out of control. The following day, Hamersley almost became Werner Voss
's 49th victim; Voss shot up his SE.5a before being shot down and killed by a patrol from 56 Squadron. Hamersley survived unhurt. He continued to score; on 18 November, he scored his sixth and last win for 1917, again teaming with Chidlaw-Roberts as they destroyed a DFW
reconnaissance plane.
Hamersley started again on 25 January 1918, destroying an Albatros D.V
. After a couple more wins, on 30 March he destroyed an LVG
recce craft and an Albatros D.V and drove down another D.V for a triple win. This rounded off his record at 10 German planes destroyed and three driven down out of control. He returned to England in May 1918 as a captain awarded a Military Cross.
test pilot for a while; it was during this time that he set an altitude record in an airplane powered by an Austin 7
motor. On 1 January 1926, he was granted a permanent commission as a Flight Lieutenant
.
He was promoted to Squadron Leader
on 1 April 1935; four months later, he was selected for an engineering assignment at Worthy Down. On 1 July 1938, he was promoted to Wing Commander
. That same year, he was named Officer Commanding of the University of London Air Squadron. He moved on to command RAF Hullavington
in 1940. On 1 December 1940, Hamersley was promoted to Group Captain
. Later, he became President of the Air Crew Selection Board in Scotland before his retirement.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(6 February 1896 – December 1967) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
credited with 13 confirmed aerial victories. He later went on to serve in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
following the war, serving in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and reaching the rank of group captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
before retiring.
World War I service
Hamersely was born on 6 February 1896 in Guildford, Western AustraliaGuildford, Western Australia
Guildford is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 13 km northeast of the city. Its Local Government Area is the City of Swan.-History:Guildford was established in 1829 on the Swan River, being sited near a permanent fresh water supply...
. His father was Hugh Hamersley. Following the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Hamersley volunteered for overseas service, joining the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
on 18 February 1915. Listing his occupation as a farmer, upon enlistment he was commissioned
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
and assigned to the 16th Battalion, with whom he embarked as part of the 5th Reinforcements to leave Fremantle
Fremantle
Freemantle is a suburb of Southampton in England.Fremantle or Freemantle may also refer to:- Places :* Fremantle, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia...
on board HMAT Hororata on 26 April 1915.
He fought with the battalion in the Gallipoli Campaign and suffered a bullet wound to his right thigh in August and was evacuated to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. He returned to his unit in October and remained at the front until November when he contracted influenza and was evacuated to Mudros. He returned to Gallipoli just in time to participate in the evacuation and disembarked in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
in January 1916. In March 1916 he was transferred to the 48th Battalion
48th Battalion (Australia)
The 48th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1916 for service during World War I and took part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front in France and Belgium, before being disbanded in early 1919....
as part of the expansion of the AIF that occurred at that time. Later that month he was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and in June 1916 was transferred to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
along with the rest of his battalion, to take part in the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. In August he was temporarily seconded to the headquarters staff of the 4th Division, with the acting rank of captain.
In November 1916 he was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
and struck off the AIF's strength. After attending the 2nd Royal Flying Corps School of Instruction, he was subsequently posted to No. 60 Squadron
No. 60 Squadron RAF
No. 60 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1916 at Gosport. It is currently part of the Defence Helicopter Flying School based at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire....
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
to pilot a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a in September 1917. On the 16th, he promptly scored his first victory, destroying an Albatros D.III
Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer...
. On the 22nd, he shared a victory as he helped Captain Robert L. Chidlaw-Roberts
Robert L. Chidlaw-Roberts
Captain Robert Leslie Chidlaw-Roberts was a British World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories.Chidlaw-Roberts joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1915. His first aerial duty was six months spent as an observer/gunner with 2 Squadron...
become an ace by driving down an Albatros D.III out of control. The following day, Hamersley almost became Werner Voss
Werner Voss
Werner Voss was a World War I German flying ace, a friend and rival of the famous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen....
's 49th victim; Voss shot up his SE.5a before being shot down and killed by a patrol from 56 Squadron. Hamersley survived unhurt. He continued to score; on 18 November, he scored his sixth and last win for 1917, again teaming with Chidlaw-Roberts as they destroyed a DFW
Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke
Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke, usually known as DFW was a German aircraft manufacturer of the early twentieth century. It was established by Bernhard Meyer and Erich Thiele at Lindenthal in 1910, and initially produced Farman designs under licence, later moving on to the Etrich Taube and eventually to...
reconnaissance plane.
Hamersley started again on 25 January 1918, destroying an Albatros D.V
Albatros D.V
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X....
. After a couple more wins, on 30 March he destroyed an LVG
LVG
Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin-Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman-type aircraft. The company constructed many reconnaissance and light bomber biplanes during World War I.The raid on London in 1916 was...
recce craft and an Albatros D.V and drove down another D.V for a triple win. This rounded off his record at 10 German planes destroyed and three driven down out of control. He returned to England in May 1918 as a captain awarded a Military Cross.
Post World War I
In 1920–1922, Hamersley was once again assigned to 60 Squadron, although by then it was stationed in India. He then became the AvroAvro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
test pilot for a while; it was during this time that he set an altitude record in an airplane powered by an Austin 7
Austin 7
The Austin 7 was a car produced from 1922 through to 1939 in the United Kingdom by the Austin Motor Company. Nicknamed the "Baby Austin", it was one of the most popular cars ever produced for the British market, and sold well abroad...
motor. On 1 January 1926, he was granted a permanent commission as a Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
.
He was promoted to Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
on 1 April 1935; four months later, he was selected for an engineering assignment at Worthy Down. On 1 July 1938, he was promoted to Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
. That same year, he was named Officer Commanding of the University of London Air Squadron. He moved on to command RAF Hullavington
RAF Hullavington
RAF Hullavington was a Royal Air Force station in Hullavington, near Chippenham, Wiltshire.RAF Hullavington has switched regiments. At the current time it is RLC-Royal Logistic Corps.-History:Opened on 9 July 1937 as a Flying Training School....
in 1940. On 1 December 1940, Hamersley was promoted to Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
. Later, he became President of the Air Crew Selection Board in Scotland before his retirement.