Harold Alan Hamersley Military Cross

Background

Hamersely was born on 6 February 1896 in Guildford, Western Australia. His father was Hugh Hamersley.

Career

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. 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 Number. 60 Squadron on the Western Front to pilot a Royal Aircraft Factory Southeast.5a in September 1917.

On the 16th, he promptly scored his first victory, destroying an Albatros Doctorate.III. On the 22nd, he shared a victory as he helped Captain Robert L. Chidlaw-Roberts become an ace by driving down an Albatros Doctorate.III out of control.

The following day, Hamersley almost became Werner Voss"s 49th victim. Voss shot up his Southeast.5a before being shot down and killed by a patrol from 56 Squadron.

Hamersley survived unhurt. This rounded off his record at 10 German planes destroyed and three driven down out of control.

In 1920–1922, Hamersley was once again assigned to 60 Squadron, although by then it was stationed in India.

He then became the Avro test pilot for a while. lieutenant 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 Royal Air Force 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.

Achievements

• Military Cross (Military Cross).