Captain John Philip Hanson
Unit : "C" Company, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
Awards : Military Cross
Captain Hanson landed with "C" Company alongside the pathfinders on DZ-V, twenty minutes ahead of the remainder of the Battalion. The drop was scattered and Hanson landed some ten miles away. After securing the drop zone, "C" Company were to proceed to Varaville to destroy the garrison there, and it was during the fighting here, a few hours after dawn, that Hanson rejoined them. The Company, amounting to only thirty men, were hard pressed and suffered casualties from the unexpected fire of a 75mm gun. A round from this weapon hit several PIAT bombs, the explosions from which killed Lieutenant Walker and left the Company Commander, Major MacLeod, fatally wounded; he died in Captain Hanson's lap, shortly after his arrival. Hanson, as Second-in-Command of the Company, immediately took control of the battle and ensured the surrender of the Varaville garrison. He and his men withdrew into the Battalion's lines at 18:00 that evening.
Promoted to Major, Hanson was instrumental in the action to restore order to the Chateau St Côme sector on the 12th June. A particularly heavy attack had penetrated deep into the lines held by the 5th Black Watch, and the 9th Battalion, also in severe difficulty, requested assistance from Brigade Headquarters. Although the Canadians were themselves under considerable pressure at the time, the Battalion reserve, consisting of "C" Company's forty men, were handed over to Brigadier Hill who personally guided them to the area. They arrived to find an untidy battlefield with isolated pockets of Germans and the Black Watch fighting for control of the woods; the Chateau having already been lost despite a small group of the Highlanders fiercely holding on to an outbuilding. Major Hanson led "C" Company in a counter-attack and successfully won back the Chateau. Due to their intervention and the stubborn resistance of the 9th Battalion and 5th Black Watch, the attackers were repelled.
For his actions on D-Day, Major Hanson was awarded the Military Cross:
At Varaville on 6th June 1944 in an attack on a strongly fortified position this officer's company commander was killed. Captain Hanson immediately took over Command showing exceptional leadership and courage attacked the position inflicting casualties and taking 40 prisoners. He immediately consolidated this position and held it under enemy mortar fire until relieved. Captain Hanson was wounded in this action but continued to command his company.