The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (260624) Flight Lieutenant William Vyner Duckett White DFC, No. 2 Squadron, RAAF, Second Wolrd 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 , the story for this day was on (260624) Flight Lieutenant William Vyner Duckett White DFC, No. 2 Squadron, RAAF, Second Wolrd War.

260624 Flight Lieutenant William Vyner Duckett White DFC, No. 2 Squadron, RAAF
Prisoner of war 20 February 1942

Today we remember and pay tribute to Flight Lieutenant William Vyner Duckett White.
William White was born on 25 October 1913 in Inverell, New South Wales, the son of Harold and Constance White.

William’s father had served during the First World War, earning a Distinguished Service Order serving with the 2nd Light Horse Brigade.

Known as “Bill”, young William attended Cranbrook School for one year before he was forced to leave by the Spanish Influenza outbreak. He and his brother Harold contracted and survived the flu, and went on to attend Geelong Grammar, while their younger brother Geoffrey remained at Cranbrook.

Following in his father’s footsteps, in 1927 Harold moved to Kenya, and was awarded an Order of the British Empire for services to primary industry in 1964.

William joined his brother from 1930 to 1939, serving in the Kenyan defence forces, and working as a journalist and company manager, with interests in farming and mining.

William served in Shanghai with the British militia force and Chiang Kai-shek before returning to Sydney, where he learned to fly.

Described as “dark, handsome and tough, with a shining personality”, White was as a hard drinker remembered for imbibing a daily bottle of whisky.

He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force as an air cadet on 30 January 1940. After completing his flying course, he was appointed to a commission on 4 May 1940.

He was posted to 2 Squadron in August 1940, and served at Darwin for several months as captain of an aircraft taking part in sea reconnaissance.

Around the middle of December 1941, he moved with his squadron to Ambon. From there he was involved the early stage of operations against Japanese forces, flying on reconnaissance flights and operations.

On 29 and 30 January 1942, immediately preceding the Japanese invasion of Ambon, White carried out continuous reconnaissance of the Japanese invasion fleet, and was repeatedly attacked by fighter aircraft. Eventually his aircraft was irreparably damaged and could no longer be flown.

He was later granted the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions, which were described as “an epic story of courage, determination, skill and devotion to duty”. But White would not live to receive the award in person.

With the Japanese invasion underway, a group of RAAF personnel at Laha airstrip planned to reach a pickup point at Seram, an island just north of Ambon, in two Hudson aircraft.

With White’s aircraft disabled by a shattered fuel line, the evacuation plan was revised. Seventeen men were to leave on the serviceable aircraft, while the 11 left behind attempted to repair the damaged Hudson. When repairing the damaged fuel line proved to be impossible, an evacuation flying boat flying between Halong and Darwin was contacted. It was unable to immediately return for the stranded party so a pickup point was arranged at Geser Island, off the south-east tip of Seram. The flying boat kept that rendezvous on 12 and 15 February, but without success.

William White was reported missing, believed to be a prisoner of war, on 19 February 1942.

Later investigations determined that the group of 11 had refused to surrender to the Japanese, and had taken food and set out to cross the mountains to the north coast of Ambon. The group purchased a prau (a type of sailing boat) to attempt the crossing from Ambon to Seram on 4 February, but were captured by a Japanese naval patrol.

After the war, mass graves were uncovered around the Laha
airstrip, and although his remains have not been positively identified, it is believed that White was among a group of prisoners who were captured and taken to Laha, where they were executed between 17 and 20 February 1942.

In 1987, William White’s medals were presented to the Australian War Memorial, and proudly displayed in Anzac Hall.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among almost 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 William Vyner Duckett White, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section