Hanau, Julius "Caesar"

Date of birth:: April 25th, 1885 (South Africa)
Date of death:: May 12th, 1943 (Cairo, Egypt)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Cemetery Heliopolis
Plot: 3. Row: F. Grave: 32.
Service number:: P/211068
Nationality:: South African

Biography

Julius Hanau was born in South Africa, the son of Carl Hanau and Sophie Baumann. He grew up in a Jewish family and later married Violet Sybil, with whom he lived in Westminster, London. He served in the British Army during the First World War. He distinguished himself in the field, earning a Mention in Despatches, and by 1918 he was appointed deputy to the Chief of the British Mission to Yugoslavia.

After the war, Hanau remained in Belgrade, where he built a successful business career. His long residence in Yugoslavia gave him an intimate knowledge of the Balkans, its politics, and its waterways, particularly the Danube. When Europe slid back toward conflict in the late 1930s, the British War Office’s Section D—the forerunner of the Special Operations Executive—recruited him for his regional expertise. His principal mission was to prepare sabotage operations against Germany’s supply lines, most notably an ambitious plan to block the Danube at the Iron Gates gorge, thereby cutting off the flow of oil and raw materials from Romania to the Reich. Several attempts were made, but German counterintelligence became aware of his activities, and under pressure from Berlin the Yugoslav authorities expelled him in June 1940.

Hanau’s expulsion did not end his service. He was absorbed into the Special Operations Executive, where his knowledge of the Balkans and Africa proved invaluable. By 1941 he was running SOE’s West African desk in Cairo, coordinating clandestine operations and logistics across a vast region. The following year he played a significant role in supporting the British assault on Madagascar, an operation designed to prevent the island from falling under Axis control. For his contribution he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. By this stage he had reached the rank of colonel.

He died in Cairo in May 1943, reportedly of natural causes, and was buried in the Heliopolis War Cemetery. He was fifty‑eight years old.

Promotions:
28 September 1916: Temporary 2nd Lieutenant (on prob.)
29 March 1918: Temporary Lieutenant
26 February 1919: Temporary Major

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Knight's Cross of the Order of the White Eagle

Period:: First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:: Acting Captain
Awarded on:: November 26th, 1919

With swords

Knight's Cross of the Order of the White Eagle

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel
Awarded on:: September 29th, 1942
Awarded for:: Operation Streamline Jane

"Prior to the operation in connection with the assault and capture of the island of Madagascar in May this year, this officer spent many arduous weeks engaged in organizing and coordinating the preliminary plans for the operation, all of which task he carried out with the highest judgement, tact and skill.

He landed on the morning of the assault attached to the staff of the Commander in the Assault Brigade, to whom he acted as advisor throughout the ensuing operations.

He played an important part in the negotiations for the surrender of Antsirane. Later it was on his initiative that the positions on the Orangea Peninsula were surrendered. The successful conclusion of these latter negotiations which he initiated and, with his command of French, assisted in finalizing, saved the necessity of carrying the heavily defended positions by assault with resulting loss of life on both sides.

Early in the action he suffered a concussion, but this did not prevent him carrying on to the conclusion of operations and all through subsequent negotiations. He was continually under heavy fire and consistently displayed great gallantry, initiative and resource.

He is strongly recommended for the award of the Distinguished Service Order, and as a result on an exchange of telegrams G.C.C.-in.C. East Africa has signaled his concurrence."

The recommendation for DSO was ultimately rejected and Hanau was awarded the OBE instead.