The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (406572) Flight Lieutenant Frank Keith Morcombe, 1st Operation Training Unit, Seond 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 Joanne Smedley, the story for this day was on (406572) Flight Lieutenant Frank Keith Morcombe, 1st Operation Training Unit, Seond World War.

406572 Flight Lieutenant Frank Keith Morcombe, 1st Operation Training Unit
Accidental death 5 October 1943

Today we remember and pay tribute to Flight Lieutenant Frank Keith Morcombe.

Frank Morcombe, known as “Keith” to his family and friends, was born on 18 August 1913 in Ceduna, South Australia, one of eight children born to William and Alice Morcombe. Frank lived on the nearby family farm at Goode until the age of eight, when the family moved to Western Australia. Here he attended the Northam High School and he excelled at tennis and cricket, and then worked as a farm mechanic on his parent’s farm at Coorow. On 20 February 1936 Frank married Alma Dorothea, and the couple had two children, Michael Keith and Alma Suellen.

Keith Morcombe enlisted into the Air Force on 3 February 1941 in Perth. After training, he joined No. 2 squadron in the Northern Territory on 22 July 1942, and flew Lockheed Hudsons, light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.

He was clearly a popular and talented airman. In a confidential appraisal by his officers, his superiors wrote: “This officers’ tenacity and courage have become almost a byword in the squadron. Eager to participate in the most hazardous tasks he is an inspiration to his flight. An exceptional officer”.

On 19 August 1943, Morcombe was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation for the award stated that his
tirelessness and courage and his efficiency as a leader have had a tremendous influence on the other personnel of the squadron.

On the 4th of December, 1942, Flight Lieutenant MORCOMBE was the leader of a formation of three Hudsons on an offensive patrol in search of enemy shipping along Wetar Strait north of Timor. Despite persistent and close attacks by enemy fighters which commenced at the beginning of the Strait, he continued on down past the enemy fighter base at Dilli and completed his mission. One aircraft was damaged in the hydraulic system which caused the under-carriage to drop and so retarded its speed. By skilful leadership of the formation and use of meagre cloud cover he brought the formation back along the Strait and home to its base without further mishap. The courage and devotion to duty displayed in this episode is typical of the fighting qualities of this officer.

Flight Lieutenant Morcombe has continually volunteered to participate in the more dangerous sorties as indicated by the high proportion of strikes in the sorties in which he has participated. On one occasion he scored direct hits on a Japanese destroyer, disabling it.

In May 1943 Morcombe transferred from No. 2 Squadron to the 1st Operation Training Unit, based in Victoria. In his new role here, he was responsible for training new pilots. On 5 October 1943, Morcombe was flying a Mark V Bristol Beaufort aeroplane with training pilot Sergeant James Cameron near Sale in Victoria. While landing at East Sale, the plane was caught in a strong crosswind. The pilot had to make a swift turn to avoid a tower, but in the action the plane’s left wing struck a steep bank on the ground, causing the plane to cartwheel. Morcombe died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident. The 30 year old was survived by his grieving wife and young son and daughter.

In April 1944, with his father in attendance, Morcombe’s grieving wife was presented with his Distinguished Flying Cross insignia by the Lieutenant-Governor of Western Australia at Government House in Perth.

Morcombe was buried at the Sale War Cemetery in Victoria, where his remains lie today alongside 57 other Australians who lost their lives in the Second World War.
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 Flight Lieutenant Frank Keith Morcombe, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

David Sutton
Historian, Military History Section