The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (416558) Flying Officer Sidney Milton Forrester, No. 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 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 (416558) Flying Officer Sidney Milton Forrester, No. 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Second World War.

416558 Flying Officer Sidney Milton Forrester, No. 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force
KIA 4 September 1943
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 4 September 2015

Today we pay tribute to Flying Officer Sidney Milton Forrester, who was killed on active service with the Royal Australian Air Force in 1943.

The son of Milton and Elinor Forrester, Sidney Milton Forrester was born in the outback township of Orroroo, South Australia, on 25 March 1921. Known to his friends and family as “Sid”, he grew up on the family sheep station at Minburra. Forrester attended the local school at Orroroo until year nine, and was dux of the school.

In 1935 Forrester moved to Adelaide to finish his education at Unley High School. He was a brilliant sportsman and excelled at cricket, football, tennis, and swimming, as well as classical music. Forrester graduated with honours in 1939 and enrolled to study medicine at the University of Adelaide. There he supported himself by working as a shop assistant and insurance agent.

In April 1941, aged 20, Forrester enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force. He was sent to Parafield Elementary Flying Training School in South Australia and Point Cook in Victoria, and after months of training received qualified as a pilot officer.

In August 1942 Forrester embarked for Britain. As part of the Empire Air Training Scheme Forrester was one of almost 27,000 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and engineers who joined squadrons based in Britain throughout the course of the war.

Once in Britain, Forrester undertook further specialist training before being posted to No. 460 Squadron. This squadron was based in Lincolnshire, from where they undertook the strategic bombing of Germany. On 3 September 1943 Forrester’s Lancaster took off for a raid on Berlin with another 315 aircraft. On its return, the Lancaster swung over Denmark and was engaged by a German night fighter. In the early hours of 4 September 1943 the Lancaster manned by Sid Forrester and his crew crashed near the Danish village of Stadil. All eight on board were killed instantly.

The local villagers heard the flying battle, and investigated the site of the crash. Today they continue to maintain a memorial to these airmen who were killed on the outskirts of their village.

Flying Officer Sidney Forrester was 22 years old.

His body was not recovered, and today he is commemorated on the Air Force Memorial at Runnymede, together with the three other Australians and four Englishmen on board.

Forrester’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with some 40,000 Australian men and women who died in the Second World War and his Australian crewmates Squadron Leader Carl Richard Kelaher, Warrant Officer Ewin Garth Carthew, and Warrant Officer Cyril Augustine Walsh.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Flying Officer Sidney Milton Forrester, and all of those Australians – as well as our Allies and brothers in arms – who gave their lives for their nation.

Lucy Robertson
Volunteer, Military History Section