The Australian War Memorial in Canberra will commemorate the service and sacrifice of Clermont resident Flight Sergeant James William Perrie at the Last Post Ceremony on Friday 23 May 2025.
"James Perrie was born on 6 April 1923 in Clermont, Queensland, the son of Samuel and Sarah Pirrie," Australian War Memorial Director Matt Anderson said.
"After attending Blair Athol State School and All Souls' College, Perrie studied accountancy and found work as a clerk. On 5 April 1943, aged 19, he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force."
Trained as an air gunner, Perrie arrived in the UK in March 1944 as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. On 16 August he was posted to No. 467 Squadron, RAAF, part of Bomber Command.
During a bombing raid on the German city of Konigsberg overnight on 29-30 August 1944, Perrie's Lancaster bomber failed to return. All seven men on board were presumed killed by enemy action. James Perrie was 21 years old.
The Last Post ceremony is held at 4.30 pm every day except Christmas Day in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial.
Each ceremony shares the story behind one of 103,000 names on the Roll of Honour. To date, the Memorial has delivered more than 4,100 ceremonies, each featuring an individual story of service from colonial to recent conflicts. It would take more than 280 years to read the story behind each of the 103,000 names listed on the Roll of Honour.
"The Last Post Ceremony is our commitment to remembering and honouring the legacy of Australian service," Mr Anderson said.
"Through our daily Last Post Ceremony, we not only acknowledge where and how these men and women died. We also tell the stories of who they were when they were alive, and of the families who loved and, in so many cases, still mourn for them.
"The Last Post is now associated with remembrance but originally it was a bugle call to sound the end of the day's activities in the military. It is a fitting way to end each day at the Memorial."
The Last Post Ceremony honouring the service of Flight Sergeant James William Perrie will be live streamed to the Australian War Memorial's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/awmlastpost.
The stories told at the Last Post Ceremony are researched and written by the Memorial's military historians, who begin the process by looking at nominal rolls, attestation papers and enlistment records before building profiles that include personal milestones and military experiences.
HANDOUT images:
vwma.org.au/explore/people/643153
www.awm.gov.au/collection/C263622
