HAMMOND, Henry Talbot
| Service Numbers: | 4506, 260180 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Royal Flying Corps |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1 October 1895 |
| Home Town: | Strathfield, Strathfield, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Motor mechanic |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Strathfield WWI Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4506, 13th Infantry Battalion | |
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| 16 Feb 1916: | Involvement Private, 4506, 13th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Feb 1916: | Embarked Private, 4506, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Sydney | |
| 1 Apr 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 54th Infantry Battalion | |
| 16 Mar 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 4506, 54th Infantry Battalion, Discharged to the Royal Flying Corps with rank of 2nd Lieutenant | |
| 17 Mar 1917: | Involvement Royal Flying Corps | |
| 14 Sep 1917: | Imprisoned Shot down and captured when flying a SE5 over Menin |
World War 2 Service
| Date unknown: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Group Captain, 260180 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
On the 14 September 1917, Lieutenant Henry Talbot Hammond of 60 Squadron RFC went missing. He was later reported a prisoner of war of the Germans, having crash landed his SE5 behind enemy lines.
Hammond enlisted in the AIF and was a Sergeant in the 54th Battalion in 1916, and he was severely wounded at Fromelles with shrapnel in the face and neck, and was evacuated to England before managing to join the RFC. He flew Farmans, Nieuport Scouts and later Camels with Billy Bishop as Flight Commander, fighting Richthofen himself.
Whilst a POW he dug escape tunnels with a frying pan handle. For this he was nicknamed “Bunny”. He eventually returned safely to Australia, and after the war he founded Aerial Transport Company and Adastra Flying School during the Depression, then Guinea Airways using DH50 aircraft. Hammond served in the RAAF during WW2 as a Group Captain at Richmond NSW, in the Pacific and at Laverton, giving flying instruction. In 1944 he was awarded an MBE as a Wing Commander.
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