Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

One of five brothers who served in WWII, Sergeant Horace Stowar Tanner (Service No:11819) enlisted in the RAAF on 8 August 1940 at No 1 Recruiting Centre Melbourne as an Aircraftman I - mustered as Trainee Armourer, remustered as Armourer then Fitter Armourer. ACI Tanner embarked from Sydney for the Middle East with 450 Squadron on 9 April 1941, and served with 450 Squadron and Middle East Command in Damascus, Beirut and Amman. Leading Aircraftman embarked from Egypt for Melbourne via Bombay on 9 September 1944, and was a Sergeant attached to 2 Operational Training Unit (OTU) Mildura at Discharge on 22 August 1945. Two of his older brothers died - Clarrie was KiA in France and Ern as a PoW in Borneo.

Horrie was born in 1921 at Moojebing via Katanning in Western Australia, fifth of six children of Clarence Stephen Tanner (b1885 at Lara via Geelong, Victoria) and Edith Amelia Chapman (b1891 in Albany, Western Australia). Clarence and Edith married in 1912 in Albany and settled in the region, where they raised their family and Clarence was a Farmer. In the mid 1920s the family moved to Melbourne, Victoria where they settled in Coburg and Clarence was a Gas Company Employee. All five of their sons served in WWII - Clarrie was KiA in France and Ern (a PoW) 'died of illness' in Borneo.

Finishing his schooling at Coburg State School, Horrie started work in 1935 as an Apprentice with Alpha Engineering Works. Horrie was Fitter and Turner with the Company in 1940 when he enlisted in the RAAF. Following Discharge, Horrie resumed work as a Fitter in Melbourne, where in 1948 he married Janet Florence Smith (b1926 in Tocumwal, New South Wales) - Janet was working in Melbourne as a Packer. Horrie and Janet settled in Melbourne, where they raised their family and Horrie worked as a Fitter and Electrical Tester. Horrie died in 2004 and Janet in 2018.