Documents

Burial Service

BURIAL SERVICE FOR RAAF ASSOCIATION MEMBERS

The following Burial Service Ritual has been approved by the Queensland Division Executive for use, where desired by the relatives, at the funeral of a RAAF Association member. Remember, it is up to you, the member, to inform your relatives, the funeral director or leave it in your Will that you desire a RAAF Funeral Service.

Its use is to be approved, on each occasion, by the State President or a Branch President and the Ritual will be conducted by the approving President or an Association member nominated by the President. The Officiating Officer will act as Leader of the party of Association members present at the Burial and will act in liaison between the relatives, the Clergyman and the Association Party. Normally the casket will be covered by the Australian Flag, but where desired by relatives, and if enough notice is provided, the Officiating Officer may arrange for an Association flag to be used. Where the deceased is a former member of the RAAF the RAAF Ensign may be used in lieu of the Australian Flag.

Where a Service is held in a Church or Chapel the Association party will leave it in sufficient time to form a guard for the casket from the door to the hearse.

At the cemetery or crematorium, the Association Party will keep together. The Association Burial Ritual will be said by the Officiating Officer, by arrangement with the relatives and the clergyman, during the committal at the grave or at the crematorium. There, the Officiating Officer, standing near the clergyman, will say:

“We of the Royal Australian Air Force Association are here today to mourn the passing of our comrade (………………..), to join in sympathy with his/her family and to show our gratitude for his/her life.”

If no other eulogy is given say the following:

(………………..) was born at: ( here follows a summary of the deceased's life.)

“Particularly we, his/her fellow members of the RAAF Association, remember his/her time with us in service of his/her country and in the RAAF Association.” (here follows a summary of the deceased's service, decorations etc. and of his/her Association membership).

“(…………………..) has now gone before us to join the great company of his/her and our service comrades who have passed before us. For that company, of which (………………) is now one, we say:
Hallowed in Christ be the memory of brave men and women who have died for the freedom of the World. They shall stand before the Throne, an exceeding great array. And in the vast throng shall be found our own well-beloved.

They went with songs to the battle,
They were young, straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow,
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”

All present will then say: “We will remember them”.

The Officiating Officer should continue

“The service of (………………..)’s life is over and the hour has come to rest. We place this poppy in remembrance and observe a minutes silence in his/her memory".

After all ex-service personnel have placed poppies the Officiating Officer will ask those present to stand at attention with bowed heads for one minute, concluding with the words

“Lest we Forget”.

If a bugler is present, the Last Post will then be played and at the conclusion, the Association Party will file past the grave. It is envisaged that the bugler will be used only at the special request of the relatives.

The Association Party will wear Association badges, medals and appropriate clothing.
Same service for Burial & Cremation.

RAAF Ensign

Most Queensland Division branches have a RAAF Ensign specifically for use in burial services of former RAAF members. Where a Division member is not a former member of the RAAF, an Australian National flag may be used to drape the coffin. Please contact the relevant Branch Secretary for details.


Song of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC)

Sourced from the National Library Archives - Digital Collection

Oh, We are the boys of the Flying Corps, Australia's land we defend.
Our planes fly over land and sea, and the war we'll fight to the end.
We've got good planes and pilots too, who chase the Taube through the
blue.

The planes that fly across the sky to defend our country and King.
are built as true as man can do in engine, chassis or wing.
But though they often win unharmed they sometimes tumble beneath
the foe:

so
We'll be there to keep in repair our fine British aeroplanes too.
We'll be there to do our share and patch and mend and blow.
Over the land and over the sea,
bombing the Boche and watching him flee,
Hey! Archibald shoot a bit higher you!
Fritz have a banana?
Send up your Taubes to Tommy and me.
Come along, Cooee!


EAGLES OF AUSTRALIA

Song of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)

Music: SQNLDR R Mitchell (retd)MBE LRAM ARCM psm
Words: Frank Cranston & LAC Richard O'Toole

As Eagles of Australia we span from sea to sea.
above our Nation's regions which we strive to keep free.
We guard our country's frontiers through skies of blue or grey,
eternally we keep our watch as we've been shown the way.
Our wings are spread across the land our mighty engines roar,
in freedom's cause we hold our trust and to the stars we soar

From distant sunny coastlines to deserts vast and wide,
the Royal Australian Air Force is flying high with pride.
From snowy mountain ranges to shining coral seas,
we pledge our faith and keep it safe Australia ours to please.
Our wings are spread across the land our mighty engines roar,
in freedom's cause we hold our trust and to the stars we soar

As Eagles of Australia our heritage we tend,
in looking to our future, our country we'll defend,
No force will dare oppose us in striving to keep our vow,
you'll hear our shout of victory above Australia now.
Our wings are spread across the land our mighty engines roar,
in freedom's cause we hold our trust and to the stars we soar


RAAF BASES (in 2007)

Darwin

114 MCRU
HQ 396ECSW
321ECSS
AMS DAR
44WGDET DAR

DFRC NT
JLU-N
13SQN

Pearce

79SQN
44WGDET PEA
CSUPEA
AMS PEA

2FTS
25SQN

Perth

DFRC WA
JLU-W

Tindal

75SQN
322ECSS
BBMF
AMS TDL
44WGDET TDL

Melbourne

JLC-HQ
DFRC VIC

Adelaide

DFRC SA

Richmond

HQALG
AMCC
HQ84WG
33SQN
285SQN
AMTDU
AMCC
HQ86WG
37SQN
386ECSS
CSURIC
AMS RIC
1CCS
3CSH
44WGDET
RIC
ACBAND

ALSPO
22SQN

Fairbairn

34SQN
JIC-TAF

HMAS Harman

28SQN

Canberra

AFHQ
ADFA
ADC
ADFPC-C
DFRC ACT

DMO:ESD,ASSD,ASD
462SQN

Tamworth

ADF BFTS
ADF PSA

Alice Springs

1RSU-ASPDET

Edingburgh

HQ92WG
10SQN
11SQN
292SQN
1RSU
1AFDS
AOSG
HQAOSG
IWWG
IWWGOPS
JEWOSU
87SQN
AIS-AF
TEWO
ASTSQN
ASESQN
ASCEA
AVMED
CSUEDN
AMS EDN
44WGDET EDN

1RTU
MPSPO
ALSLMU
JLU-S

24SQN

Tamworth

ADF BFTS
ADF PSA

Newcastle

DFRC NCT

Nowra

NASPO
44WGDET NWA

Sydney

HQJOC
1JMOVGP
DFRC NSW

DNSDC

Glenbrook / Orchard Hills

HQAC
CSUGBK
EODF

DEOTS

Amberley

HQ82WG
1SQN
6SQN
36SQN
38SQN
HQCSG
CSCC
382ECSS
2AFDS
AMS AMB
HQHSW
44WGDET AMB

HQRTW
RAAFSFS#
#
green|SRSPO##
23SQN

Townsville

38SQNDETB
323ECSS
1AOSS
44WGDET TVL
HQ395ECSW

CSTS
DFRC NQ
27SQN

Point Cook

RAAFCOL
OTS
RAAF Museum

Butterworth

92WGDETA
324ECSS

Hobart

DFRC TAS
29SQN

Laverton

CSUWIL
HQAFTG
DITC
CENBAND
HSTF
ADFLANGS

DGTA-ADF
AESSO
JLSA

21SQN

East Sale

44WGDET ESL
HQATW
32SQN
CFS
SAN
SATC

TASPO
CSUESL

Wagga Wagga

HQGTW
RAAFSALT
RAAFSTT
SPS

CSUWAG

Williamtown

HQACG
HQ81WG
3SQN
77SQN
2OCU
HQ78WG
76SQN
79SQN
278SQN
FACDU
HQSRG
HQ41WG
3CRU
SACTU
HQ42WG
2SQN
HQ44WG
381ECSS
AMS WLM
44WGDET WLM

TFSPO
GTESPO

ADFWC
26SQN

Oakey Airfield

AASPO
44WGDETOAK

Brisbane

DFRC SQ

Scherger

Woomera

Curtin

Learmonth

LEGEND
Executive
Combat
Training
DMO
CSIG/DPE/ADF/Other
Reserve



Grace before Official Queensland Division Meals

We remember before you Father, all Airmen & Women who have lost their lives in defence of our country during war and in times of relative peace, including those who have passed on recently (the reader of this grace may add names of those who have recently passed on but it is not essential).

May their souls and the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace and rise in glory.

We thank you for those who have prepared this meal.

Accept our thanks, and bless the food we are about to receive, so that not only will our bodies be fed, but also we may caringly reach out to all, especially those Airmen and women who are not well at this time.

We ask this in the name of God,

AMEN


The Ode of Remembrance

The Ode for commemoration services is the famous fourth stanza from For the Fallen, a poem by the English poet and writer Laurence Binyon, which was first published in London's The Times newspaper on 21 September 1914.

This compelling verse, which became the Ode of Remembrance in common usage across the Commonwealth, has been used in association with commemoration services since 1921:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

( Audience responds) We will remember them.


Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License