The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (419126) Flight Sergeant Maxwell MacDonald Lack, No. 463 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 Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (419126) Flight Sergeant Maxwell MacDonald Lack, No. 463 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Second World War.

419126 Flight Sergeant Maxwell MacDonald Lack, No. 463 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force
KIA 25 June 1944

Today we remember and pay tribute to Flight Sergeant Maxwell MacDonald Lack.

Maxwell Lack was born on the 8th of March 1923 in Myrtleford, Victoria, to Ernest and Edna Lack. His father was a farmer and garage owner who had served in France during the First World War with the 6th Field Company Engineers.

Maxwell attended Myrtleford Central School and Caulfield Grammar School, before going on to work as a farmer. On 14 July 1942 he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force, at the age of 19. He trained as an air gunner, and in June 1943 received his badge and was made sergeant. Before leaving for overseas service he became engaged to Kath Power.

Lack embarked for overseas service from Adelaide on 4 August 1943, arriving in the UK in September. As part of the Empire Air Training Scheme he was one of almost 27,000 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and engineers, who joined Australian and British squadrons in Britain throughout the course of the war.

Further specialist training followed in England, and in December Lack was promoted to flight sergeant. On 11 March 1944 he was posted to No. 463 Squadron, RAAF. As part of Bomber Command, the squadron flew the four-engined Avro Lancaster heavy bomber.

On the night of 24 June 1944 Bomber Command launched a major raid on a flying bomb site at Prouville, France. Flight Sergeant Lack was an air gunner on board Lancaster “J for Jig”, which took off from the Royal Air Force base at Waddington at about 10.45 pm. The squadron committed 18 aircraft to the mission, but three failed to return, including “J for Jig”.

It was later discovered that the aircraft was attacked by a German fighter aircraft, causing an explosion. British Flying Officer Arthur Syddall was thrown clear of the aircraft and managed to land safely. He became a prisoner of war. The rest of the crew were not so lucky. The plane’s debris was later found ten kilometres east of the target. Killed along with Flight Sergeant Maxwell Lack were Australians Pilot Officer Jeoffrey Tilbrook and Warrant Officers Alexis Mineeff and Hubert Carlyle, along with British Sergeants David Dowe and Charles Penn.

After the war the remains of Commonwealth servicemen buried in Europe were examined and identified where possible. Investigations located the remains of Flight Sergeant Lack at the St Pierre Cemetery in Amiens, and he was reinterred there under the inscription: “His life a beautiful memory, his death a silent sorrow.”

He was 21 years old.

Flight Sergeant Maxwell Lack’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with some 40,000 others from 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 Sergeant Maxwell MacDonald Lack, and all those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.

Christina Zissis
Editor, Military History Section