The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (407391) Flight Sergeant Reginald Albert Moynagh, 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 Greg Kimball, the story for this day was on (407391) Flight Sergeant Reginald Albert Moynagh, No. 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Second World War.

407391 Flight Sergeant Reginald Albert Moynagh, No. 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force
KIA 16 December 1943

Story delivered 18 June 2018

Today we remember and pay tribute to Flight Sergeant Reginald Albert Moynagh.

Reginald Moynagh was born in Parkside, South Australia, on 25 September 1915, the son of Albert and Annie Moynagh.

Growing up, Reginald was a talented sportsman. He was a member of the last South Australian interstate baseball team to visit Victoria before the war, as well as a talented cricket, footballer, and golfer.

Moynagh enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 14 September 1940 and began training as an air gunner.

In November 1941, before embarking for overseas service, he married his sweetheart Valeria Wildman in Manly.

After he had left Australia, Valeria gave birth to their daughter, Denise Anne Moynagh. Sadly, Reginald and Denise would never meet.

Embarking for overseas service as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, Moynagh was one of almost 27,500 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and engineers, who, throughout the course of the war, joined squadrons based in Britain.

After arriving in Britain, Moynagh undertook further specialist training before being posted to No. 460 Squadron. This would become the most highly decorated Australian squadron in Bomber Command, and the squadron that suffered the highest casualties. Flying twin-engined Vickers Wellingtons medium bombers and then the four engined Avro Lancaster heavy bomber, the squadron lost over 1,000 men: Australian, British, Canadians, New Zealanders and South Africans. Almost 600 Australians from 460 Squadron are listed here on the Roll of Honour.

During his time with the squadron Moynagh participated in raids on Berlin, Hamburg, and Köln.

On the night of 16 December, Moynagh was on his thirtieth operation, which would have been his final operation before a break and possible return home if he wished.

After participating in a large raid on Berlin, the Lancaster in which Moynagh was air gunner, encountered bad weather on the return flight.

Having circled No. 460 Squadron’s home station of Binbrook in heavy fog and low cloud, the Lancaster crashed near the village of Market Stainton in Lincolnshire, killing Moynagh and all six of his crewmates – fellow Australians Captain Francis Randall, Flying Officer Harold Dedman, Flight Sergeant William Halstead, Flight Sergeant Charles Howie, Flight Sergeant Harry Peterser, and British crewmate Jack McKenzie.
The crew were buried side by side in the Cambridge City Cemetery on the 23rd December.
Reginald Moynagh was 28 years old.

Due to the heavy losses suffered by Bomber Command squadrons due to enemy action and bad weather during that night’s raid, it became known as Black Thursday.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among almost 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War. His photograph is displayed beside the Pool of Reflection.
This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Flight Sergeant Reginald Albert Moynagh, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.


Lachlan Grant
Historian, Military History Section