The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (431474) Leading Aircraftman William John Ervin, No. 1 Air Observers School, Evans Head, Second World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each 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 Nicholas Schmidt, the story for this day was on (431474) Leading Aircraftman William John Ervin, No. 1 Air Observers School, Evans Head, Second World War.

431474 Leading Aircraftman William John Ervin, No. 1 Air Observers School, Evans Head
Accidentally killed 11 September 1944
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 26 February 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Leading Aircraftman William John Ervin.

William Ervin was the youngest son of William and Agnes Ervin of Trundle, New South Wales. He was educated at Bathurst High School, where he obtained an intermediate public examination certificate with first-class results in maths, science, and history. Following school he returned to farming and grazing on the family property near Trundle. He was an active sportsman, and played tennis and cricket as well as going shooting and surfing on occasion. He was also a competent horseman.

Ervin had been a member of the 6th Light Horse Regiment in the citizens' militia since 1937 and had risen to the rank of lieutenant. In 1940 he enlisted in the army and went into the 2nd Australian Motor Division Officers' Training Cadre at Puckapunyal. However, he preferred active service in the air force, and in September 1941 he successfully applied for transfer to the RAAF as aircrew.

One year later William Ervin married Mabel Clarice Pillinger of Carcoar, although they could spend little time together due to his commitments to the RAAF. Ervin underwent an extended period of training at Evans Head in New South Wales. In October 1943 Mabel gave birth to a son who shared the same name as his father and grandfather.

On Monday, 11 September 1944, Leading Aircraftman Ervin was part of a crew flying an Anson LT781. At that time he was a trainee navigator in a crew of four. On their training flight near Glen Innes in New South Wales they were accompanied by a female corporal of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. The pilot of the aircraft disobeyed orders so as to fly near his parents' house, but somehow crashed almost overhead. There was an explosion, and a wing appeared to break off before the aircraft crashed into a neighbouring weatherboard house and caught alight. Fortunately, the occupant and her infant child were not at home at the time.

Although the pilot's parents and other witnesses tried to help, the heat from the fire prevented them from getting too close. Leading Aircraftman William John Ervin and the other occupants of the plane are considered to have been killed instantly. Ervin was 29 years old.

Mabel Ervin wrote to the RAAF to request a copy of his enlistment photograph, saying that Ervin's son was "only a year old now, so will not remember his father and it is for him as he grows up that I want this photo so much". The air force, making a note that they should do everything in their power to meet this request, sent her two pictures to remember her husband by.

William John Ervin's name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with more than 40,000 others from the Second World War. There is no photograph in the Memorial's collection to display beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Leading Aircraftman William John Ervin, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.