Roll of Honour 2023

P AGE 282

W ORLD W AR II

S T . E DWARD ’ S S CHOOL , O XFORD R OLL OF H ONOUR MASTER

Name THOMAS HANKEY (Capt)

Lef SES 1940

Roll Number - Died 29:09:1944 Age UNKNOWN

Set / House -

Arrive SES 1937

Where BURMA Serving with OXFORDSHIRE & BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY

Buried Where he fell Remembered The St.Edward’s School WW2 Memorial

A Scholar from New College Oxford , he came to SES as an Assistant Master in 1937 and was commissioned in the Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry in 1941 as a Second Lieutenant. Posted to Burma in 1943 with the rank of Captain, he was attached to the 6th Battalion when the regiment was ordered to seize and occupy a position in the foothills some five miles from the main divisional area. ‘The Japanese were holding this area lightly and it was occupied without too much trouble but one or two stubborn pockets held out, each containing fifteen to twenty men. Tom Hankey in charge of B Company had two platoons under him. As with everything he did he set about his reconnaissance and planning with complete thoroughness and on Christmas Day 1944 they gained their objectives. Shortly afterwards Tom and a Corporal went forward to reconnoiter and as they reached the top of the hill, a Japanese sprang from a concealed trench and fired a Tommy-Gun but missed: he then threw a grenade which killed Tom and wounded the Corporal He was killed instantly and buried on the pinnacle of the hill, just captured’ (Roger Northcote-Green (OSE and SES Teacher) who fought alongside Hankey). Thomas Hankey was the only member of the SES Common Room killed in WW2.