Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An early Western Desert operations M.M. awarded to Squadron Sergeant-Major D. Hanford, Royal Tank Regiment, attached 3rd Hussars: he was killed in September 1942 when his tank hit a mine

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (7882294 Cpl. D. Hanford, R. Tank R.), contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise very fine £1000-1200

M.M. London Gazette 25 April 1941. The original recommendation states:

‘In the Western Desert on 11 December 1940, his Troop Commander’s tank having been knocked out, Lance-Sergeant Hanford took over command of his Troop. This entailed his having to lead the Troop in a tank which had no 2-pounder gun. Undeterred, he blocked the hole with a track adjusting tool. In spite of having no means of protection, he led his Troop - and the leading Troop of the Squadron - with the greatest courage and dash in spite of being under very heavy artillery fire. His courageous example and leadership was most praiseworthy.’

Donald Hanford, a member of 2nd Royal Tanks, was attached to the 3rd Hussars, 7th Armoured Brigade, at the time of the above action near Rasel Seiyada, on 11 December 1940. The war diary of the 3rd Hussars states that disaster struck at around 1.45 p.m. that day:

‘It was at this point several of ‘A’ Squadron’s light tanks received direct hits and the remainder, save one, all became stuck in the boggy and deceptive salt marshes. Every single tank fired hundreds of rounds of ammunition until all in turn were hit by the field batteries not more than 200 yards distant. The Squadron Leader and his acting 2nd in command were killed. One Troop Leader with a badly smashed arm managed to get clear of his tank and yet another escaped in tact ...’

At the time of his death on 4 September 1942, when his tank hit a mine, Hanford was serving as a Squadron Sergeant-Major in ‘A’ Squadron, 46th (The Liverpool Welsh) Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C. The unit’s war diary makes reference to his grave being located on the edge of the minefield, but its exact position must have been lost in the subsequent fighting at El Alamein. Today he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial. Hanford left a widow who was resident at Fletchamstead in Coventry.