New Resident Naval Officer For City

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29931, 19 September 1962, Page 17

New Resident Naval Officer For City

Lieutenant-Commander G. A. Hannan, R.N.Z.N., has been appointed resident naval officer in Christchurch. He will replace LieutenantCommander E. A. Newton, who has been appointed to a post at Navy Office, Wellington. Both appointments become effective on October 6. Lieutenant - Commander Hannan, who for the last three years has been gunnery officer at H.M.N.Z.S. Philomel, Auckland, entered the Royal Navy as a boy in 1934.

From 1934-36 he served in the Mediterranean in the cruiser London. Between 1937 and 1939, he was in the

minesweepers Halcyon and Hebe, on the United Kingdom and Mediterranean stations, and also served in the aircraft carrier Courageous. Commander Hannan served in special forces in Norway in 1940. He was in H.M.S Foxglove which was sunk in 1940. and then in H.M.S. Pelican which was badly damaged by air attacks. For the next two year? he served in H.MS. King George V, and was present at the Bismarck battle. In 1945 he was commissioned and subsequently served in the Far East in H.M.S. Newfoundland and Tamar until 1949. From 1951 to 1953 Commander Hannan served on the Mediterranean station in the Saintes and Armada. He qualified as a gunnery officer in 1955. In 1956 he transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy. He served in H.M.N.Z.S. Tamaki. and Royalist on the Far East station during 1957-58. Commander Hannan is married with an 18-year-old son.