Hand grew up there and was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, where he was an organ scholar, from 1932 to 1937, and then at Oriel College, Oxford, from 1938 to 1941, where he received a BA degree in history.
He stayed at Heckmondwike until 1946, when he decided to move to Papua New Guinea, inspired by the life and death of the Reverend Vivian Redlich, a missionary killed there by the Japanese during the Second World War.
In pursuit of publicity to gain support for his diocese, he employed a press officer, Susan Young, who smoked cheroots and flew a plane.
He received several honours, including a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, the highest rank (Grand Companion) in Papua New Guinea's Order of the Logohu and the title of Chief of the Orokaiva people.
However, he missed Papua New Guinea and returned, settling in Port Moresby[2] where he wrote his memoirs (and a newspaper column) and headed the local censorship board.