Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

David Anthony Thatcher was born on the 27th September 1918 in London, England. He moved with his family at some stage to Exeter, England where he grew up attending St Sidwells Church Of England school there. On the 3rd October 1936 he enlisted in the RAMC and was demobilized on 16th May 1946 having completed 10 years.
Enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corps on the 3rd October 1936 and was demobilised on 16th May 1946. During the years 1938 - 1944 he served duty in Egypt, Sudan and Italy. Then from 1944 - 1946 he served in France, Belguim, Holland and Germany. After Dad came out of the regular Army he was in the Reserves as a nurse for 2 years from 1947 - 1949. Campaign awards he received for duty were:- Africa Star with 8th Army Clasp, Italy Star, France and Germany Star, 1939-1945 Star, War Medal and Defense Medal. Dad's service number was 7263351 and he was a corporal by the time he came out. Dad had once made the comment, when asked about the war, that he was one of the original Desert Rats and had lived in the trenches for long periods of time.. This episode of his life would have been when he served with the 8th Army in Africa.

During the years 1947 - 1951 he was a heavy goods driver in Liphook.

From 1951 - 1953 he did manual labour in Aldershot.

From 1953 - 1956 he did road making in Liphook.

In November 1957 my Dad, Mum, brother David and my sister Maureen migrated from England to Australia. They travelled on the Castel Felice (ship) and were migrants under the 10 pound scheme. They entered into Australia on the 18th November 1957.

Dad worked as Steward at RAAF Pearce Air Base for some months prior to enlisting into the RAAF full time for a 12 year stint. Enlisted on the 20th March 1958. His service number was A55526.

During his time in the RAAF he was posted firstly to Melbourne for a short posting. He was sent to serve the country in the Vietnam war as Mess Supervisor in No 2 Squadron from 19/04/1967 to 12/03/1968. Upon coming home he was then posted to NSW for a period of 5 years.

During 1973 he was then posted back to Western Australia for discharge from RAAF. By the time Dad left the RAAF he had the ranking of Sergeant.