Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Richard the son of Dawson HANNA (1854-06.08.1927) & Annie BETHUNE (1856-15.07.1942) and was born on the 21st of April 1883 in Gumeracha, SA.
Dawson & Annie were married in Houghton, SA on 10.04.1878.

Richard’s father was the son of Richard HANNA & Elizabeth DAWSON and was born in August 1854 at the Daisy Hill Diggings, Ballarat, VIC. (Richard & Elizabeth DAWSON married on 27.02.1852 in Macclesfield, SA).
His mother was the daughter of William & Mary BETHUNE and was born in 1856 in Lanarkshire, Scotland. She had arrived in Australia on board the Bee on the 9th of October 1858 with her parents.

Richard was the third child born into the family of 8 children. 6 boys and 2 girls.

Richard’s father (Dawson) had moved from the goldfields to Gumeracha in 1856 with his parents in a bullock dray. They had then moved to “Willow Farm” in Forreston (North Gumeracha) in 1873 and carried on mixed farming.
Richard’s father and his uncle Henry took over the running of “Willow Farm” when Richard’s grandfather (Richard) purchased a property in 1882 at Pekina.
Richard grew up at “Willow Farm”, was educated at the Gumeracha Public School and became a wool classer.

At the age of 32 Richard enlisted into the AIF on the 18th of January 1916 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 2457.
His brother Alick enlisted into the AIF, 9 days later on the 27th of January 1916 (2456).
They were both posted to the Light Horse Base at Mitcham before Richard was allotted the 3rd Light Horse, 16th Reinforcement and then the 9th Light Horse, 17th Reinforcement on the 16th of March.

Prior to his embarkation Richard married Louisa Mary Hales FINCH on the 15th of April 1916 in Gumeracha.
Louisa was the daughter of Harold FINCH & Lillian LONG and was born on 15.01.1892 in Naracoorte, SA. Her parents were married on 15.09.1891 in Naracoorte. Her father was born on 03.04.1860 in Greenwich, England and her mother was born on 16.12.1873 in Pt MacDonnell, SA.

(Louisa had moved to Gumeracha as a child with her parents in 1905 and they were the publicans of the Gumeracha Hotel. Her father had died in his sleep in the Hotel on 12.08.1911. Her brother Reginald Hales FINCH had enlisted into the 16th Battalion on 14.09.14 as a Bugler (1265). He was wounded at Gallipoli, returned to Australia and then re enlisted into the 32nd Battalion (2607)).

Richard’s brother Alick also ended up with Richard in the 9th Light Horse, 17th Reinforcement and they embarked together from Melbourne, on board the HMAT A58 Kabinga on the 8th of May 1916, disembarking in Egypt.

Richard & Alick were trained together until August when Alick was transferred to the 4th Camel Regiment.
But they were not separated long before Richard was transferred into the same regiment.
They remained with each other for most of their time oversea’s, except when Alick was hospitalised with Typhoid.

Richard embarked for Australia from Port Said on board the HT Dorset on the 29th of April 1919, disembarking in Adelaide on the 4th of June.
Richard was discharged on the 26th of July 1919.

He gained employment as the manager of Farmers Union Co-operative at Springton and Richard & Louisa had moved to Mt Pleasant by 1921.

They welcomed their first son; Ronald Hales, on the 10th of March 1923.
Just after Ronald was born Richard then gained employment with Bennett & Fisher,
Limited, at Hawker as the local stock agent and the family relocated.
Bennett & Fisher, Limited was a major livestock agent.

Richard played cricket, golf & tennis for the local club and was a member of the Hospital Board.

On Friday the 4th of February Richard was motoring to Quorn when his car caught alight. When about five miles from Hawker, he thought that the engine of this car was running hot, and got out to investigate the trouble. He opened the bonnet, and immediately the car burst into flames. He tried to put the fire out with his dust-coat, but the flames spread and the petrol tank burst. His efforts were fruitless. He then concentrated his efforts on the grass, which was alight on the road. A high wind and dust storm was blowing, and made it hard to arrest the fire, but he was successful and averted what might easily have been a bushfire.

In September 1928 the family were transferred to Mount Barker and the Hawker Cricket Club presented Richard with a leather suitcase.
They made their new home in Nairne and welcomed their second son; Jack, in February 1930.

Richard joined the RSL Mt Barker Sub-Branch and by 1931 was already a committee member and then the treasurer the following year.

Richard was the vice president and secretary of the Hills Central Lawn Tennis Association from 1932 – 1935 and the president of the Dunn Park Tennis Club.

His employment took him annually to Lake Victoria Station where he took charge of the shearing operations.

In 1934 Richard became the secretary of the Nairne Women’s Auxiliary, Mt Barker Women’s Auxiliary & Hospital Board and they raised money for an up to date obstetric bed and presented it to the Mt Barker Soldiers Memorial Hospital.
He held this position until 1947 and during this time, in November 1936, the new wing of the Hospital opened and was credited to the efforts of Richard.

By 1939 they had moved to 9 Kia Ora Street, Mt Barker, which they then purchased in February 1944.
Richard joined the Brethren of the Prince of Wales Freemason’s Lodge No. 14 (Mt Barker) and became a E.c (Excellent Companion)

On the 6th of October 1941 their son Ronald enlisted into the CMF and was called up for duty on the 2nd of February 1942. He then enlisted on the 10th of December 1942 into the 101 Composite Anti Aircraft Regiment (SX30494).

In April 1950 a memorial was unveiled at the Mt Barker Soldiers Memorial Hospital in honor of Richard.
It is a seat surrounded by beautiful panelling and bearing the inscription; R. N. HANNA, Secretary 1934 – 1947, erected by the Women’s Auxiliary & Hospital Board and was initially placed in the vestibule (entrance hall).

Louisa remained in Mt Barker until March 1960, when she sold their home and relocated to Adelaide.

Military

At the age of 32 Richard enlisted into the AIF on the 18th of January 1916 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 2457.
He listed his mother, of Gumeracha, as next of kin.

He was posted to the Light Horse Base at Mitcham before being allotted the 3rd Light Horse, 16th Reinforcement and then the 9th Light Horse, 17th Reinforcement on the 16th of March.

He embarked from Melbourne, on board the HMAT A58 Kabinga on the 8th of May 1916, disembarking in Egypt to continue training in Tel el Kebir.
He was transferred to the 3rd Light Horse Reserve Regiment on the 15th of June and then taken on strength with the 1st Light Horse Double Squadron on the 6th of July and based at Serapeum.
In September orders were received for the formation of 4 Regiments of the Light Horse to be mounted on camel.

Richard’s Squadron was dismounted and Richard was transferred to the 4th Camel Regiment, which was made up of a mixture of Australians and New Zealanders on the 2nd of November 1916 at Abbassia.
Camels were well suited for life in the desert; they could carry around 145 kilograms and go without water for up to five days. Horses were also used by the troops, but required water daily. Initially transported from India and then Egypt, the camels could travel from 4.8 to 9.5 kilometres per hour.

They spent January & February 1917 in Abbassia before moving to Ismailia in March and Serapeum in April.
The following months were spent at Sheikh Nuran with the 3rd Camel Battalion and suffered from the Turkish air raid in June. Their camp was bombed and one bombs fell directly on a group of camels assembled for inspection by the Battalion's veterinary section. Twenty six camels were killed outright and another 15 had to be put down due to their injuries.

On the 30th of October 1917 he suffered from Synovitis in his left knee and was admitted to the 44th Stationery Hospital in Kantara where he spent 12 days before being transferred to the Convalescent Depot at Montagah.
He was discharged and transferred back to his regiment on the 20th of December.

In July 1918 he was transferred to the 15th Light Horse and then to the newly formed 5th Signal Troops, Australian Engineers at the end of the month.
His Troop trained in telegraph line construction in Surafend, Palestine in August and September and then moved onto Dumar in September.
By the end of November they were in Baalbek, Syria where they spent Christmas 1918.
They were still here in February in the cold and heavy snow, before being relieved by the Indian Cavalry and moving to Beirut in early March.
They arrived in Port Said on the 24th of March and Richard embarked for Australia from Port Said on board the HT Dorset on the 29th of April 1919, disembarking in Adelaide on the 4th of June.

Richard was discharged on the 26th of July 1919.

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