The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (429124) Flying Officer Richard Kay Oliver, 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 (429124) Flying Officer Richard Kay Oliver, No. 463 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Second World War.

429124 Flying Officer Richard Kay Oliver, No. 463 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force
KIA 2 February 1945
No photograph in collection – family supplied

Story delivered 23 February 2016

Today we pay tribute to Flying Officer Richard Kay Oliver, who was killed on active service with the Royal Australian Air Force.

Born in Stanmore, in Sydney’s inner west, Richard Kay Oliver was the son of Claude and Ethel May Oliver. As a young man he attended Dulwich Hill Primary School and Canterbury Boy’s High School. He was a cub and boy scout at Dulwich Hill and attended the jamboree that was held in Bradfield Park. He also enjoyed ice skating and played ice hockey at the Sydney Glacierium, and taught ballroom dancing.

When he was 18 years old Oliver worked as a clerk at W.D. & W.O. Wills Tobacco Company. He had previously served in the Militia, in the 1st Australian Motor Division Headquarters.

After joining the RAAF in October 1942, Oliver began training as a pilot. In June 1943 he embarked for Canada, where he undertook further specialist training. While on leave there he learned of a dinner being held in honour of Australian airmen returning to Australia, one of whom was his very own brother, Squadron Leader Les Oliver DFC. Richard crashed the dinner and spent the evening with his brother, but this would be the last time they saw each other.

Oliver arrived in England in December 1943. As part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, he was one of almost 27,500 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners, and engineers who joined squadrons based in Britain throughout the course of the war. He undertook further training before being posted in January 1945 to No. 463 Squadron, which flew the four-engine Avro Lancaster heavy bomber.

Oliver was flying with the squadron on 2 February 1945 during a raid on Karlsruhe, Germany, when the Lancaster he was piloting was shot down. Oliver was killed, as were four of his Australian crewmates. Two
other crewmates, one Australian and one British, managed to survive the crash and became prisoners of war.

Oliver was 21 years old. His body was recovered, and is buried beside those of his crewmates in the British and Commonwealth War Cemetery in Durnbach, southern Germany.

Richard Oliver’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with around 40,000 other Australians who died while serving in the Second World War. His photograph is displayed today beside the Pool
of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Flying Officer Richard Kay Oliver, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of
a better world.

Dr Lachlan Grant
Historian, Military History Section