Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Leading Aircraftman Frederick Arthur John Blucher (Service No:56293) initially served in the Militia briefly in 1940 with 24/39 Battalion. He enlisted in the RAAF at No 1 Recruiting Centre Melbourne on 20 May 1942 as an Aircraftman I - mustered as a Flight Rigger, re mustered as Fitter. Promoted to LAC in 1944, he served with 20 Squadron Cairns, and was attached to 1 Flying Boat Repair Depot at Discharge on 23 November 1945. Sibling John served in the Army in WWII.

Third of four children, Fred was born in Dandenong, Victoria in 1919 to Johan (John) Heinrich Blucher (b1880 in Wittenburg, Germany) and Minnie Nathalia Wanke (b1891 in Harkaway, Gippsland, Victoria). John immigrated with his parents and siblings in 1891, arriving in Melbourne on board the Erlangen. John (a Farmer in Jumbuk via Morwell) and Minnie married in 1912 in Morwell and settled at Jumbuk, where they raised their family and John was a Farmer. By 1931 the family had moved to Koo Wee Rup, Cardinia (John was a Farmer), and by 1937 were living in Melbourne, where John worked as a Labourer. In the early 1940s the family had moved to Bushy Park via Maffra, where John worked as a Timber Cutter.

Fred worked at Clyde as a Farmer before moving to Heidelberg in 1942, where he was working as a Kitchenman at the Austin Hospital when he enlsited in the RAAF. In 1942 in Melbourne he married Shirley (Betsy) Joan Allan (1922 in Adelaide South Australia). Following his Discharge, Fred and Betsy lived in Bushy Park via Maffra and in Morwell, where they raised their family and Fred worked as a Labourer and Carrier. Fred died in 2007 and Betsy in 2017.