Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Anthony Fisher BURCHER, DFM (1922-1995)

Tony Burcher was one of the 19 Australian 'Dambusters' who flew on the famous Dams Raid on 16/17 May 1943.  He was the rear gunner of Lancaster Aj-M 'M for Mother' tail number ED-925, flown by RAF Flight Lieutenant John Hopgood. 

Their aircraft was hit by AA fire on the way to the target; they lost an engine and Hopgood was seriously wounded but they decided to press on.  They were hit again by AA fire on their bombing run, second in line behind the leader AJ-G flown by raid commander Wing Commander Guy Gibson. 

Flak took out another engine and prevented the bomb release working properly, although they got it away - late.  Hopgood, already seriously wounded, struggled to gain height to give the crew a chance to bail out, but only three got out. 

Tony Burcher had helped the badly wounded Wireless Operator Sergenat Minchin out of the aircraft but he did not survive the jump and Burcher was blown clear as the aircraft exploded.  He hit the tailplane of the aircraft on his way out breaking his back, and broke a kneecap as well.  He landed seriously injured and after attempted evasion, impaired by his injuries, he was captured and spent the rest of the war as a PoW.

Burcher spent several days in a culvert near where he had come down.  With crippling injuries and severed nerves in his back inhibited his realisation of just how much trouble he was in.  As he was trying to crawl across an adjacent road he was spotted by a member of the Hitler Youth, who contacted the authorities.  Fortunately for Burcher he received excellent treatment, including being placed in a cement cast.  He learned that bomb aimer John Fraser had also made it out of the aircraft relatively safely.  They both served out the war as PoW.

Tony Burcher was sent to Stalag Luft III,  which was the scene of the 'Great Escape' in March 1944, ending in tragedy with the deaths of so many escapees.  Tony Burcher was not among them, not having taken art in the Escape.

He survived the war and married Joan Barnes, a WAAF member at 106 Squadron.  They returned to Australia after the War and settled in Sydney before returning to the UK in 1949 when he transferred to the RAF.  He served in Malaya during the Emergency, and later Korea before retiring from the RAF in 1961.  They then returned to Australia settling at Snug, in Tasmania.  Tony's injuries plagued him for the rest of his life, and he was unable to attend the 50th Anniversary in 1993.  He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1994, and died in 1997 after sucumbing to the disease which afflicted so many of his colleagues.

Source:

Burgess, Colin, 2021.'Australia's Dambusters - Flying into Hell with 617 Squadron'.  Simon and Schuster, Sydney ISBN: 9781760859237