The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (375) Pilot Officer Hubert Albert Lenne, No. 24 Squadron RAAF, 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 Craig Berelle, the story for this day was on (375) Pilot Officer Hubert Albert Lenne, No. 24 Squadron RAAF, Second World War.

375 Pilot Officer Hubert Albert Lenne, No. 24 Squadron RAAF
Accidentally killed 19 December 1940
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 22 April 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Pilot Officer Hubert Albert Lenne.

Hubert Lenne was the son of Charles and Margaret Lenne of Echuca, Victoria. Bert, his sister, Catherine, and brother, Frederick, were brought up in Echuca. Charles Lenne, Bert's father, died in 1933 when Bert was 13 years old. Bert was educated at Echuca School and later St Patrick's College in Ballarat. He proved to be a very good student and so began an engineering course at the Ballarat School of Mines.

In early 1940 Bert left his studies to join the Royal Australian Air Force. He then underwent a period of training in a number of RAAF bases around Australia. He proved an able pilot, and was awarded his flying badge on 28 June 1940. On one occasion during his training he was flying a Tiger Moth when the engine suddenly cut out. Lenne was able to bring the aircraft safely back to the ground, a skilful manoeuvre that earned him great praise from his instructors.

In November 1940 Bert Lenne was in Townsville for further training. On 29 November he was the pilot of Wirraway Aircraft A20-53 on a training run. His plane and two other aircraft were flying in open formation from Townsville to Evans Head. Five miles south of St Lawrence, Lenne's aircraft was missed by the rest of the formation.

A search revealed the aircraft had crashed near St Lawrence. It appeared that Lenne had had to make an emergency landing on a clay pan, but had overshot the smooth surface and hit some nearby trees. Both Lenne and his observer were badly burned by the crash.

Lenne was taken to the Mackay Hospital for treatment for his badly burned legs. On 19 December, twenty days after the accident, he succumbed to his wounds and died in hospital. He was twenty years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with around 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 Pilot Officer Hubert Albert Lenne, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.