The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (425911) Sergeant Norman Leslie Wachter, 12th Operational Training Unit RAF, 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 Joanne Smedley, the story for this day was on (425911) Sergeant Norman Leslie Wachter, 12th Operational Training Unit RAF, Second World War.

425911 Sergeant Norman Leslie Wachter, 12th Operational Training Unit RAF
Accidentally killed 8 September 1943
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 22 June 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Sergeant Norman Leslie Wachter.

Norman Wachter was born on 21 October 1923 to Leslie and Ivy Wachter in Queensland. He went to All Souls School in Charters Towers, and played tennis, cricket, and football, as well as winning prizes in open athletics for his school. He went on to become a storeman and packer in a food manufacture business.

Norman enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 21 May 1942 at the age of 18. He underwent a period of training in Australia and left Sydney in May 1943 to continue his training overseas. Before he left he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and made an air gunner. He arrived in the United Kingdom on 7 July 1943.

Two months to the day after he arrived in the United Kingdom, Sergeant Wachter was a member of the crew of Wellington bomber BJ.621 on a training flight. The aircraft took off from Chipping Warden airfield at about 9.50 in the evening of 7 September to carry out a night-time cross-country and bombing exercise. It was expected that the exercise would take five hours. For two hours messages were received from the aircraft, indicating that it was on time and on track. The last message was received at a quarter to midnight.

At around half past midnight on 8 September the Wellington bomber dived vertically into the ground about three miles south-west of the village of Bridgnorth in Shropshire. All trainee pilots and crew were killed on impact. It was later determined that atmospheric conditions combined with pilot fatigue contributed to the fiery crash. Sergeant Wachter’s remains were recovered from the wreckage and buried near Chester. He had not yet flown any operational missions and was just 19 years old when he was killed.

Norman Wachter’s 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 Sergeant Norman Leslie Wachter, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.