Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Horace Charles Kerley was born on 3rd August 1920 at Nurse Robinson’s Maternity Home in Pinnaroo (‘Horace Kerley’, 1920). He was the only child of Richard Charles Kerley, born on 3rd June 1891 and Myrtle Emily Stringer, born on 4th December1889.  Myrtle was Richard’s second wife, after his first wife Elizabeth Stringer (Myrtle’s cousin) passed away giving birth to twins in 1915 (Family Search, 2019).  Richard and Myrtle were married in 1917 (My Heritage, 2021). Eighteen days after Horace was born, his mother Myrtle died at the Pinnaroo District Hospital (The Express and Daily Telegraph, 1920) from ‘blood poisoning’ which is now commonly known as sepsis (All Answers, 2018).  Therefore, as a newborn he was raised by his paternal grandmother Emma Trypheena Kerley and paternal grandfather Charles Kerley.   Baby formula was not common in the 1920’s in regional Australia, so Horace was fed a combination of crushed arrowroot biscuits and cows’ milk (Kerley, 2021). When he was old enough, approximately 12 years of age, Horace returned to work on the family farm with his father and step mother Doris Irene Caldicott, who was Richard’s third wife (Kerley, 2021).

As a child Horace suffered from polio, a disease that effects the nervous system and as a result had a dropped shoulder (Kerley, 2021), yet his condition didn’t affect his ability to play Australian Rules football, cricket and undertake the manual labor required to run a successful wheat and sheep farm in Peebinga, South Australia.

When Horace’s maternal grandmother, Ann Stringer died on the 23rd November 1927 (Geneanet,2021) she left Horace, as her grandson, some money in her will (Kerley, 2021).  When he had finished his primary school education at Parilla Primary School, Horace wisely used the money to attend Urrbrae Agricultural School in Adelaide in 1936 and 1937 (Kerley, 2021; Chronicle, 1937). On completion of these two final years of schooling, Horace returned to the family farm at Section 48 of Parilla (‘Back to Parilla’ Committee, 1981).

At age 21, on 28 February 1942, Horace, like many young men his age, enlisted to serve his country in World War II. Horace aspired to become a fighter pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (Kerley, 2021) and after enlisting in Adelaide was sent to the Wireless Air Gunnery School in Ballarat, known as 1WAGS (No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School Ballarat, 2021).  No. 1 Wireless Air Gunnery School was established on the 22nd April 1940 as part of the Empire Training Scheme. This scheme was to support the British Royal Air Force - Bomber Command during WWII (Stanley, 1985). There were 58 Wireless Air Gunner Courses and 12 Navigator Courses conducted from 1940 to 1945. Horace Kerley was in enrolled in Course 25 and after 24 weeks the men graduated from Ballarat and moved to 1,2 or 3 BAGS (Air Gunners School) to complete the Gunnery component of the course. Horace went to 3BAGS in Sale, Victoria and logged his training hours in his Flight Journal from 29th November 1942 until 9th December 1942.  On 10th December 1942, with only 5 hours and 15 minutes of flight gunnery experience, Horace graduated as a Sergeant Air Gunner with the Royal Australian Air Force (Pinnaroo & Border Times, 1942). Despite initially wanting to become a pilot, his grades at Ballarat were not quite high enough (Kerley, 2021) and he therefore Horace trained as a rear or tail gunner. New recruits who became crew in Bomber Command were told their life expectancy was six weeks. These brave young men hoped to do two tours, which was thirty ‘sorties’ or operations. The average amount of successful operations was thirteen, men had to beat the average by more than twice to survive. Horace flew over 30 operations during his RAAF service, predominately in the Middle East with Squadron 462. Despite flying with the British Airforce - Australian’s still wore their Australian dark blue uniforms as belonged to the RAAF. When Horace returned from war, his wife Moreen made him have a formal portrait taken as he hadn’t had one taken in full uniform as a Warrant Officer (Kerley, 2021).

At the beginning of April 1943, Horace embarked to 27 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Lichfield, England for two months of circuits, landings, bombing exercises and operational bombing. 27 OTU formed on 23 April 1941 and its role was to form and train aircrew for front line bombing operations using Wellington bombers. The crews, largely from Australia and other Commonwealth countries, were then posted to their allocated squadrons (The Royal Air Force Lichfield Association, 2001).

Towards the end of April, Horace sent an air cable home stating that he had arrived in England and was well (Pinnaroo & Border Times, 1943).  In June 1943, Horace began flying in Halifax Bombers as part of Number 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit in Topcliffe England, still in the role of rear gunner. In July 1943, Horace left Topcliffe and was sent to Lyneham, England as part of the Number 301 Ferry Training Unit.  From Lyneham, Horace was then transferred to an Overseas Aircraft Dispatch Unit based at Hurn and by the 26th July 1943 Horace had landed in Fayid, Egypt and became part of 462 Squadron of the RAAF (Australian War Memorial, 2021). Horace’s original Flight Journal documents the many operations that he was a part of, operating from airfields in Libya - Hose Raui (22 May - 1 October 1943), Terria (1 October 1943 - 1 January 1944), and El Adem (1 January 1944 - 1 March 1944). The squadron also ran operations over southern Europe, striking at targets in Italy, Sicily, Greece, Crete and the Dodecanese Islands.  Being a rear gunner in the Handley-Page Halifax bomber aircraft of No. 462 Squadron RAAF based in the Middle East, was a dangerous and confronting role. Horace was involved in attacking the enemy nightly in heavy raids on Greece and the Dodecanese Islands (Australian War Memorial, 2021).

As a rear gunner, Horace sat in isolation in the rear turret, with the control yoke between his legs which was used to rotate the turret and elevate his 4 x .303 machine guns. The rear gunner was in a very cramped position, yet because of his position and what he could see, it was often the gunners who advised the pilot on evasive action (Australian War Memorial, 2021).  Horace wore a uniform which consisted of a helmet, oxygen mask, boots, shirt, trousers, tie, gloves, a whistle and an escape kit.  The rear gunner would also wear a flying suit as his position meant that he was exposed to the weather. It was electrically wired with a variety of electrical heated linings, gloves, and boot liners. Adding to the extreme conditions faced by the rear gunner, was that they were the only crew member who did not wear a parachute, as the confined space meant a parachute didn’t fit (Australian War Memorial, 2021).  The parachute was located outside of the turret and often meant in an emergency, the rear gunner had little time to fit the parachute and escape safely (Stanley, 1985). Horace flew day and night operations in the Middle East until January 1944, he was involved in over 30 successful operations. Following his service in 462 Squadron, Horace was relocated to El Ballah, Egypt, as an instructor at the Middle East Fighter Training School. He served as a rear gunner instructor, in the conversion and refresher school (Australian War Memorial, 2021), until his discharge.  This role meant, due to his extensive experience and skill, he taught and instructed new rear gunners in Anson Avro aircraft under a variety of different pilots.

Horace was discharged from the RAAF on 11th May 1945 (Virtual War Memorial, 2020) at the request of his father so he could return home and resume work on the family farm (Kerley, 2021). Horace was awarded five service medals for his service to country, including The 1939-45 Star, The Italy Star, The War Medal 1939-45, The Australia Service Medal and the 1939-1945, Defence Medal (Department of Defence 2020).

On 30th April 1946 Horace married Moreen Beryl Werner (Pinnaroo and Border Times, 1946) at the Pinnaroo Methodist Church.  Horace and Moreen farmed in Parilla with Horace’s father Richard until 1959, when they moved to start their own wheat and sheep farming enterprise near the small mallee town, Peebinga (Kerley, 2021). Moreen named the farm ‘Nalya’ which is an indigenous word meaning ‘circle of hills’ (The Australian Women’s Weekly, 1961). Horace and Moreen had three children, Dean, Jeanette and Roger who all grew up on the farm. The Kerley family were integral members of the Peebinga community, they were involved in sporting, education, council, agricultural and church groups (Gum, 1979). Dean and his wife Pam, continued to successfully farm ‘Nalya’ until 2008.

Horace retired with Moreen to Loxton, South Australia in 1994. He regularly made trips back to the farm to keep an eye on things (Kerley, 2021).  On 20th February 1999, Horace passed away from lung cancer in the Loxton Hospital aged 79.  He was cremated and his ashes were returned to ‘Nalya’. A memorial plaque is located in the Loxton Cemetery.

Horace is lovingly remembered by his family and it is hoped that this recount will recognize the dedicated service Horace provided to his country during World War II.

Submitted by Ethan Wagner, Great Grandson of Horace Charles Kerley.

Reference List

1937 'PRUNING COMPETITIONS AT URRBRAE', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 5 August, p. 12. , viewed 21 Sep 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92487166

1942, “Personal” Pinnaroo and Border Times, 17 December, viewed 4 October 2021, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/190001535?searchTerm=horace%20kerley>

1943, ‘Cable from Airman’,Pinnaroo and Border Times, 25 March, viewed 4 October 2021, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189832357?searchTerm=horace%20kerley>.

1946, ‘Family Notices’, Pinnaroo and Border Times, 11 April, viewed 12 October 2021, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/35689237?searchTerm=moreen%20beryl%20werner>.

1961, ‘Aboriginal House Names and their Meanings’, The Australian Women’s Weekly, 20 December, viewed 14 August 2021, <https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/51392923>.

All Answers 2018, Puerperal Sepsis: History, Causes and Interventions, viewed 29 September <https://nursinganswers.net/essays/puerperal-sepsis-history-causes-2802.php?vref=1.>.

Australian War Memorial 2021, No. 462 Squadron, Canberra, viewed 4 October 2021, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U59447>

Australian War Memorial 2021, No. 1 Middle East Training School (Conversion and Refresher School), RAF, Second World War, Canberra, viewed 13 October 2021, < https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2647894>.

'Back to Parilla' Committee. 1981, 1907 - 1980 Parilla - A History of the Land and its People, The Archives of South Australia, South Australia.

Department of Defence 2020, Defence Honours & Awards Medals Imperial Awards - World War Two 1939-1945, Australian Government, viewed 12 September 2021, <https://www1.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/honours-awards/medals/imperial-awards/world-war-two>.

Family Search 2019, Richard Charles Kerley, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, viewed 9 August 2021, <https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KKQP-NZ9/richard-charles-kerley-1891-1961>.

Geneanet 2021, Ann Stringer, viewed 9 August 2021, <https://gw.geneanet.org/rsmith45?lang=en&pz=robert+francis&nz=smith&p=ann&n=stringer>.

Gum, D 1979, Gurrai to Peebinga – The Story of a Mallee Community, Pinnaroo Border Times, Pinnaroo, South Australia.

‘Horace Kerley’ (1920) Certified copy of birth certificate for Horace Kerley, 3 August 1920. Book 61a, page 265, District of Wellington.

Kerley, D 2021, pers. Comm., 19 July.

Kerley, M 2021, pers. comm., 10 August.

My Heritage Ltd 2021, Horace Charles Kerley, viewed 9 August 2021, <https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-1-301478831-3-519713/horace-charles-kerley-in-myheritage-family-trees>.

Stanley P, 1985, Australia at War – Bomber Command, Hodder & Stoughton Australia Pty Ltd, New South Wales.

The Royal Air Force Lichfield Association 2001, 27 OTU Index, viewed 4 October 2021, <http://www.raf-lichfield.co.uk/OTUindex.htm>.

Virtual War Memorial Australia 2020, KERLEY, Horace Charles, viewed 12 October 2021, <https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/514846>