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411908: SERGEANT WALTER FOCH KELCHER.
Mother: Mrs. I. KELCHER of OAMARU.

Walter Kelcher was born at Waimate on the 9th April, 1919 and received his secondary education at the Waitaki Boys High School where he reached matriculation standard. The sports in which he was actively interested included football, cricket, tennis, fives, swimming and track athletics. His civilian occupation was that of a tractor and lorry driver and was employed in lorry driving by G.W. Adamson and Sons, of Oamaru when on the 28th March 1940 he made application for enlistment in aircrew.

Sgt. Kelcher was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin on the 23rd March 1941 and on the satisfactory completion of the course he proceeded to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School Taieri to commence his elementary flying training but at this station his pilot's training was terminated he was posted to Rongotai for remustering to Air Observer Under Training and reposted to the Initial Training Wing, Levin. On the satisfactory compeltion of the course he embarked on the 20th October 1941 for Canada to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Sgt. Kelcher arrived in Canada on the 4th November and on the 8th of the same month was posted to No. 7 Air Observer's School, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba where on the 28th March 1943 he was awarded the Air Observer's Badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. On the 29th March he proceeded to No. 1 Advanced Navigation School, Rivers, Manitoba and thence to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia from where he embarked for the United Kingdom.

Sgt. Kelcher arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 23rd May 1942 and was posted to No. 11 Operational Training Unit Bassingbourne, Hertfordshire, one month later. At this unit he crewed up and trained on Wellington bomber aircraft until posting on the 28th August, 1942 to No. 75 (N.Z) Squadron, Oakington, Cambridgeshire. With this Squadron as the bomb aimer of Wellington.