The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (404245) Sergeant Valentine Ernest Michael Henry, 1 Photograph Reconnaissance 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 Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on (404245) Sergeant Valentine Ernest Michael Henry, 1 Photograph Reconnaissance Unit, RAF, Second World War.

404245 Sergeant Valentine Ernest Michael Henry, 1 Photograph Reconnaissance Unit, RAF
KIA 18 April 1942
No photograph in collection.

Story delivered 18 July 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Sergeant Valentine Ernest Michael Henry.

Valentine Henry was born on 8 June, 1915 to Michael and Evangeline Henry. Although he was born in Bullfinch, Western Australia, Henry spent most of his life in Queensland. He attended Gympie High School and proved a gifted student in science and mathematics. After school he went to a teachers’ training college but was seconded from there to the public service, where he worked as a clerk. Henry continued his education himself, studying for the barristers’ examination and other subjects in his own time as well as learning German from a tutor. He also enjoyed sport, playing Rugby League, Rugby Union, billiards, and table tennis.

Valentine had enlisted in the Civil Air Reserve in September 1939, and on 19 July 1940, just over a month after his 25th birthday, he was accepted for enlistment in the Royal Australian Air Force. He underwent an extended period of training and received his flying badge in June 1941. Shortly afterwards he left Sydney bound for the United Kingdom and service in the Royal Air Force.

Sergeant Henry was posted to the No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit of the Royal Air Force. Their duty was to conduct secret flights over Europe, usually in single-seat aircraft, in order to get more information on the state of enemy territory. On 18 April 1942, less than seven months after joining his unit, Sergeant Henry was detailed to carry out a high-level sortie over the ports of St Malo and St Brieuc in Brittany, France. One message was received from him on his way out while he was just north of his target. He was never heard from again.

Four days later a body was found on some uninhabited rocks off the north coast of Brittany. The clothes were marked as belonging to Valentine Henry. There was no further information to be had about the nature of his accident, but he had had time to put on his Mae West life preserver, so it was likely he crashed into the sea. He was buried on the mainland in Brittany near where he was found. He was 26 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 Sergeant Valentine Ernest Michael Henry, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.