The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (412611) Sergeant John Richard Gilbert, No. 611 Squadron, Royal 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 (412611) Sergeant John Richard Gilbert, No. 611 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Second World War.

412611 Sergeant John Richard Gilbert, No. 611 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Accidentally killed 27 January 1943
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 12 May 2016

Today we pay tribute to Sergeant John Richard Gilbert, who was killed on active service during the Second World War.

Born in the Sydney suburb of Coogee on 23 October 1922, John Gilbert was the son of Harold William and Ada Mary Gilbert. Growing up, he attended Randwick Intermediate College. A keen sportsman, he played football, cricket, and tennis, and was a keen golfer and surfer.

Gilbert undertook further tuition at a bankers’ institute in Sydney before attaining a job as a clerk at the Bondi Beach branch of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

On 20 July 1941, aged 18, Gilbert enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force. He commenced training as a pilot and in June 1942 he embarked for overseas service. As part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, Gilbert was one of almost 27,500 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and engineers who joined squadrons based in Britain throughout the course of the war.

Arriving in Britain in August, Gilbert undertook further specialist training before being posted in January 1943 to No. 611 Squadron, Royal Air Force. This was a Spitfire squadron, at that time based at RAF station Biggin Hill.

On the morning of 27 January Gilbert and fellow Australian Sergeant Alton Mackay were training with cine-guns, special cameras attached to the aircraft and used to film their gunnery. Shortly after take-off
Mackay’s Spitfire stalled mid-air, colliding with Gilbert’s. Both Spitfires crashed near the Westerham Waterworks, and both pilots were killed.

Sergeant John Gilbert was just 20 years old. His body is buried beside Mackay’s in the St Mary Cray Cemetery at Orpington.

Gilbert’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among some 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Sergeant John Richard Gilbert, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Dr Lachlan Grant
Historian, Military History Section