Hamling was educated at Liverpool University and was a signals officer in the Royal Marines during World War II.
Hamling contested Southport in 1945, Liverpool Wavertree in 1950 and 1951, Woolwich West in 1955 and 1959, and Torquay at the 1955 by-election, before he was finally elected as member of parliament (MP) for the Woolwich West constituency at the 1964 general election, and held the seat until his death in 1975, aged 62.
The resulting Woolwich West by-election was won by the Conservative candidate Peter Bottomley.
A stained-glass window depicting William Blake, dedicated to the memory of Hamling, may be found in St. Mary's Church, Battersea.
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