Australia Service Medal : Flight Sergeant L B Haberecht, RAAF

Australia Service Medal 1939-45 impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Associated with the service of Flight Sergeant 413377 Leonard Burtham Haberecht who was born on 28 June 1922 in Henty, NSW. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he had begun a traineeship as an electrical technician. He enlisted in the RAAF reserve in January 1941 and was called up for full time duty at the age of 19 on 17 August 1941 at Number 2 Recruit Centre, Sydney. He was found suitable for flight training and was sent to 2 Initial Training School, Bradfield with the rank of aircraftsman the same day. Haberecht passed this initial course in October and in November he was posted to 8 Elementary Flying Training School at Narrandera and promoted to leading aircraftman. After completing this course in January 1942, he was posted to 2 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) at Wagga Wagga in early March and 7 SFTS later that month. Haberecht was given his pilot's wings and promoted temporary sergeant on 26 June 1942.

He married Josephine Babette Hughes in Sydney on 25 July, while he was waiting to embark for overseas service. He embarked from Sydney on 23 August in HMT Westernland. He disembarked in Capetown on 5 October and spent two weeks at 1 Flying Training Command at Poolsmere. He embarked for England on 19 October in HMT 'Highland Brigade' arriving on 18 November. Haberecht was promoted to temporary flight sergeant on Christmas Day 1942. He was posted to 12 Pilot Advanced Flying Unit on 9 February 1943 where he began flying Mosquito aircraft. In April, Haberecht began operational flying with 51 Operational Training Unit (OTU) and in May moved to 60 OTU.

In July he moved again to 301 Ferry Training Unit. He flew several variants of Blenheim, Halifax and Wellington bombers to different airfields during the next month and a half. In early September, he returned to Mosquitoes. He was assigned to a Mosquito MKVI, number 805 and between September 4 and 8 flew the aircraft with his Wireless Operator Sergeant Mooney to test the fuel systems, engines and communications. On September 9, Haberecht took a new wireless operator Flight Sergeant Alfred Dutton on his first flight in a Mosquito. Haberecht took off at 1030 and climbed to 5000 feet before diving down to 150 feet passing over the WAAF billets. He climbed to 8000 feet and repeated his run over the WAAF billets at 200 feet. Haberecht then took his aircraft to 20000 feet, maintaining that height so Dutton could test his communications gear.

Haberecht tested the engines and once the communications tests had been completed, told Dutton to strap in as he was going to loop the Mosquito. At 1055, Haberecht put the Mosquito into a shallow dive flying at 160 miles per hour. When the aircraft passed through 15000 feet, Haberecht put his Mosquito into a 10 degree dive for 20 seconds. When he pulled back on the control column, the starboard wing shuddered violently, pulling the mosquito into a flat spin. Acting quickly, Haberecht took off his seat harness and opened the escape hatch before assisting Dutton into his parachute harness. As the parachute was fitted, the Mosquito went into a vertical dive. At just under 2000 feet, Haberecht managed against massive forces to push Dutton out of the Mosquito. At this stage, the aircraft had started to break up. A portion of the port main plane and the port engine detached, the engine smashing through the tailplane. The Mosquito crashed onto Gallows Hill, Swindon killing Haberecht seconds later. Flight Sergeant Haberecht was buried with full military honours on the morning of 14 September at Wycombe Cemetery near Bath.