The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (426412) Flight Sergeant John Francis Worley, 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Airforce, Second World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial every day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Joanne Smedley the story for this day was on (426412) Flight Sergeant John Francis Worley, 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Airforce, Second World War.

Last Post closing ceremony
Flight Sergeant John Francis Worley 460 Squadron

Roll of Honour panel number: SWW 108
Date of death: 27 January 1944

Today, we remember and pay tribute to Flight Sergeant John Francis Worley of the Royal Australian Air Force, 460 Squadron.

At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, John Worley was 16 and still too young to join the armed forces. He was one of 8 children and lived in Murwillumbah, NSW. When he left school he went to work in a real estate office, and began taking out Joan Kelly, a local girl who worked in a bank.

As the threat of invasion intensified, John joined the rush to enlist in 1942, and entered the Royal Australian Air Force. Like many young hopefuls he dreamed of becoming a pilot. Air crews from Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia trained together under the Empire Air Training Scheme, and when their training was complete they flew on operations together, many in the war in Europe.

To his great disappointment, John was unsuccessful in his final exams, missing out on becoming a pilot by 3 marks. He took up the position of Air Gunner instead and was posted to Bomber Command in England. In 1943 he was well on the way to completing his 30 mandatory operational flights before extended leave was granted. Before leaving Australia he had asked Joan to marry him and they planned for a wedding as soon as John returned.

On January 26, 1944, John wrote to his parents,
“... things have been going rather well lately and I am creeping the ops in one by one. I have only 12 trips to do now and then I have finished for 6 months. We were going to have a big party tonight to celebrate Australia day, but ops are on so that is scrubbed. There is only an hour to go before briefing...”

That bombing raid over Berlin on 27 January, 1944 was to be John Worley’s last. The Lancaster on which he was the rear gunner failed to return to base and its wreckage was later discovered at Werder, 22 miles south of Berlin. John was buried in the Berlin War Cemetery. He was 20 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with almost 40,000 others from the Second World War, and his photograph is displayed today beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. Today we remember Flight Sergeant John Francis Worley, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.