The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (422461) Sergeant John Gordon Dwyer, No. 10 Squadron, RAAF, 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 Chris Widenbar, the story for this day was on (422461) Sergeant John Gordon Dwyer, No. 10 Squadron, RAAF, Second World War.

422461 Sergeant John Gordon Dwyer, No. 10 Squadron, RAAF
Flying Battle 11 August 1943
Story delivered 16 July 2018

Today we remember and pay tribute to Sergeant John Gordon Dwyer.

John Gordon Dwyer was born in the Sydney suburb of Paddington on 18 August 1916, the son of Sylvester and Clara Dwyer. After receiving his education at Sacred Heart School in Pymble, and then Marist Brothers in North Sydney, he worked as a flour miller engineer. Dwyer enjoyed many sports including cricket, football, golf, boxing, and swimming. On 4 April 1942, while living at Drummoyne, Dwyer married Brenda Daly. The couple would have one child together, a daughter named Robina, born in March 1943.

Just six weeks after his wedding, Dwyer formally enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force. Prior to this, he had been serving in the 17th Field Company of the Royal Australian Engineers.

From the time of his enlistment in May 1942 until early 1943, Dwyer trained at various bases across Australia and took classes in air gunnery and bombing. He was promoted on a number of occasions throughout his training, and on 4 March 1943 reached the rank of sergeant.

A few weeks after his promotion, Dwyer said goodbye to his young family and sailed for the war in Europe. In mid-June he arrived at the Mount Batten RAF Station in Plymouth, England, and soon joined RAAF No. 10 Squadron.

No. 10 Squadron was the only Australian squadron to serve continuously throughout the entire war in Europe. When Dwyer joined, it was serving in Coastal Command, patrolling the waters of the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean mainly in search of German submarines. Dwyer served as an air gunner on No. 10 Squadron’s Sunderland aircraft, and was responsible for defending the aircraft from attacks from German fighters.

Just before 9 am on 11 August 1943, Dwyer took off from Mount Batten Base aboard Sunderland DP177 to carry out an anti-submarine patrol in the Bay of Biscay, off the west coast of France. Just after 2 pm, the aircraft was seen by an Allied Sunderland on a neighbouring patrol, but this was the last time the aircraft was ever seen or heard from again. It is likely that the aircraft came under attack from a German Junker 88 fighter. All 12 member of the crew, including Sergeant Dwyer, were reported missing presumed killed. Dwyer was 26 years old.

His name is listed on the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey, England, which commemorates more than 20,000 Allied airmen and women lost in air operations from the United Kingdom and Western Europe in the Second World War who have no known grave.

His 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 Gordon Dwyer, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

David Sutton
Historian, Military History Section