Norman Hanson

Norman Hanson was a twenty-six-year-old civil servant at the outbreak of World War Two. Although working in a reserved occupation, Hanson was allowed to join the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in 1941. After pilot training with the U.S. Navy, he served in Egypt; later, he was posted to the Far East aboard the HMS Illustrious. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his courage, skill, and determination in leading 1833 Naval Air Squadron. Hanson returned to civilian life in 1946. He died in 1980, shortly after the publication of his critically acclaimed memoir, Carrier Pilot.