Aughnahoory Heroes LOL343b New Banner
Lieutenant Robert Hill Hanna was born near Hanna’s Close in Kilkeel, County Down Ulster, in sight of the Mourne Mountains. Prior to emigrating to Canada he belonged to Aughnahoory Loyal Orange Lodge No 343B and upon arrival there, he joined the Orange Order based in Canada Vancouver based Ontario L.O.L. No. 2226. As was common to Orange lodge members of the day he still continued paying his dues to LOL343B back home in Kilkeel, even though he had joined the Canadian lodge hence his continued link with home.The lodges wartime minute books from the period, testify to this as both the Orange and the one kept by the Royal Black Preceptory concur. The former record was prior to his travelling to Canada and the latter which he joined whilst on home leave, 5 months prior to the wars and dated July 15th 1918
Robert along with his friend Lieutenant Harold Rose, a Canadian and like himself a fellow member of Vancouver based LOL 2226. Their joining of RBP 208 is a story by itself as because of the wartime situation, they both uniquely had to get special permission to recieve all their Black degrees in one single night from the County Grand Master of Co Down at the time Sir Kgt William Annett. This is a process which in peacetime conditions normally takes 11 months to complete so it must have been one long night.
Whilst in Canada Robert found work in the forestry industry logging trees. One of 343Bs current older members Bro Issac Hanna remembers as a small boy meeting Robert on one of his many visits home. He recalled a neighbour who was complaining about a tree growing in one of his fields. Robert immediately volunteered to cut it down, saying this is what I do as a lumberman. He and the neighbour found a large crosscut saw and Issac says that Robert was throwing the neighbour man about like a rag doll on the other end of the big saw and quickly told him to stand aside, whereupon he proceeded to saw it down and log it all by himself.
His war time exploits were in a similar vein as the citation to his Victoria Cross published in the London Gazette on Tuesday 6th of November 1917 recorded
:
Ontario Loyal Orange Lodge 2226 commemorative badge
No 75361 C.S./M. Robert Hanna, Can. Inf. For most conspicuous bravery in attack, when his company met with most severe enemy resistance and all the company officers became casualties. A strong point, heavily protected by wire and held by a machine gun, had beaten off three assaults of the company with heavy casualties. This Warrant Officer under heavy machine gun and rifle fire, coolly collected a party of men, and leading them against this strong point, rushed through the wire and personally bayonetted three of the enemy and brained the fourth, capturing the position and silencing the machine gun. This most courageous action, displayed courage and personal bravery of the highest order at the most critical moment of the attack, was responsible for the capture of a most important tactical point, and but for his daring action and determined handling of a desperate situation the attack would not have succeeded. C.S./M. Hanna’s outstanding gallantry; personal courage and determined leading of his company is deserving of the highest possible reward.
The highest possible reward was exactly what he received as he was decorated for his courageous actions with the Victoria Cross by His Majesty King George V, himself at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace on December 5, 1917. On his return home a heroes reception was accorded him in his home town of Kilkeel Co Down attended by over 3000 people, which included the band of the 4th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. An award was presented to him by a veteran of the Crimean war a Sgt Thomas Hanna of the 14th regiment of Foot.
“As it would be impossible for me to reply individually to the many letters and telegrams of congratulation received lately by me, I would feel grateful if you could insert this on my behalf, as I know my friends will accept same. The military distinction I did not at all expect, nor as far as I know did I deserve. I was only doing my duty, and many a brave lad out in France and elsewhere on the battle fronts has silently and unknown performed much finer feats of valour, much braver acts of courage. These are the real heroes. In thanking you for this insertion, and also all who congratulated me, I must only repeat that till the oppressor is laid low, till we stand victors on the field, and have gained the objective for which we started as soldiers, each and every one of us will continue to act similarly with the brutal Hun.”
Aughnahoory Heroes LOL 343B Great War Memories 