The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (423956) Flying Officer Charles George Watts, No. 13 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 Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on (423956) Flying Officer Charles George Watts, No. 13 Squadron, RAAF, Second World War.

423956 Flying Officer Charles George Watts, No. 13 Squadron, RAAF
Accidental 27 January 1945

Today we remember and pay tribute to Flying Officer Charles George Watts. Charles Watts was born on 3 June 1911 in the Sydney suburb of Waverley, the son of Arthur and Ellen Watts.

Watts and his sister Ethel grew up in Sydney. He attended Cleveland Street Intermediate High School, and went on to work as a petty sessions officer.

On 28 March 1936, he married Ruth Townsend. The pair lived in the Sydney suburb of Chatswood, and had two children: Patricia (born in 1937), and Philip (born in 1940).

As well as being a qualified police magistrate, Watts was heavily involved with the Methodist church, as an accredited preacher, Sunday school teacher, choir master, church pianist, and youth group leader. He was also a keen amateur cricketer and tennis player.

In July 1940,Watts joined a part-time militia unit, the 16th Light Horse Regiment, and served for six months. His wartime service began in earnest when he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 18 July 1942.

After initial training Watts began training as a wireless operator and air gunner, first at Parkes and then Port Pirie. He joined an operational training unit in April 1943, graduating in July.

In August he was transferred to No. 13 Squadron, which was initially based at RAAF Station Darwin. There, the squadron’s headquarters, stores and spares had been destroyed by the Japanese air raids on Darwin in February 1942. While its aircraft were undamaged, the squadron was forced to move, so that by the time Watts joined, it was based at RAAF Base Fairbairn.

Because of Watts’ legal expertise, he was in attendance at a variety of courts-martials through late 1943 and early 1944.

By late 1944, Watts and his squadron had moved to Cooktown in north-eastern Queensland, and then to Gove in the Northern Territory. The squadron mainly carried out anti-submarine and escort patrols, though it also mounted a small number of bombing raids against the eastern islands of the Netherlands East Indies.

Watts was devoted to his family, writing well over 200 letters to them during his service. In some letters he passed on anecdotes about Gough Whitlam, who became a friend when they served in the same squadron.
While stationed in the Northern Territory, Watts took part in church services at the Yirrkala Methodist Mission, and was taken out to sea in a canoe by friends from the mission.

On 27 January 1945, Watts was a crewmember in a Ventura twin-engine medium bomber that took off from Gove Strip at 5.30 am. After landing at Batchelor Field to refuel they the took off once again, heading for Truscott Airfield in Western Australia when shortly after, the pilot requested landing orders. Returning to Batchelor Field the aircraft crashed on Gould strip. It is assumed that the plane was affected by wind shear due to a severe weather system at the time. Upon impact the aircraft disintegrated. All crewmembers aboard the aircraft were killed:

• Flight Lieutenant George Anderson
• Flying Officer Murden Chowns
• Flying Officer Bruce Poole
• Leading Aircraftman James Pugh
• Warrant Officer John Kay
• and Flying Officer Charles Watts, who was 33 years old

Today, Charles Watt’s remains lie in Adelaide River War Cemetery, alongside 435 Commonwealth burials from 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 Flying Officer Charles George Watts, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section