More than 50 people gathered to observe the inaugural Sunset Last Post ceremony in Narromine on Friday, July 31.

Held to honour the memory of local lives lost, the moving early evening service was held at Narromine Aviation Museum’s memorial wall, which lists the names of all those who undertook training at the No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School that was based at the Narromine Aerodrome during World War II.

The service was planned and delivered by the Narromine sub-branch of the Returned and Services League (RSL) and honoured two sons of Narromine lost during World War II: Captain Gregory Robert Kierath and Flight Lieutenant Reginald “Rusty” Victor Kierath.

President David Taylor and long-serving member and Vietnam Veteran Edward (Ted) Davies OAM addressed the service, which was also attended by descendants of the Kierath family who laid wreaths at the memorial wall.

Ted Davies delivered the tributes to the fallen Kieraths, after which the Last Post sounded.

Captain Gregory Kierath (born in 1912) enlisted with the Australian Army after completing his education, eventually joining the 20th Infantry Anti-Tank Company which was sent to Egypt and then Libya.

Greg was killed in action during the Siege of Tobruk in northern Libya on April 13 or 14, 1941. He had volunteered with another officer to do a nighttime reconnaissance mission under heavy fire when he was killed, aged 29 years old. Greg is buried in the Tobruk war cemetery.

“His younger brother Reg was able to visit his grave and there is a photograph of him standing at his older brother’s final resting place,” Ted told those gathered.

“It is hoped that that photo may have given some consolation to their parents and siblings who, no doubt, were all devastated at the terrible news of Greg’s death.”

Flight Lieutenant Reginald Victor Kierath (born 1915) saw action in Europe during World War II and became a Prisoner of War in an Italian POW camp before being moved to Stalag Luft 3, a German POW camp in Poland.

This was the site of the “Great Escape”, later immortalised in film, where Allied prisoners dug three escape tunnels and 76 escaped, including Reg. He was captured with others days later and executed on March 29, 1944. He was also 29 years old

“For the Kierath family, descended from German immigrants, and who had already had a son killed in action with the Australian Army at Tobruk in 1941, the death of another son, who they believed was safe in a POW camp, was to be a truly devastating ordeal,” Ted said.

After the service, many of those in attendance toured the Narromine Aviation Museum before gathering to share a meal in the Narromine Aero Club.

The Narromine sub-branch plans to hold more events honouring locals lost to war and other conflicts.