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bomber aircraft he participated in two operational flights to enemy territory.

Sgt. Kelcher was the bomb aimer of a Wellington bomber aircraft which took off on air operations on the night of 10th September 1942 and failed to return to its base. All the members of the crew including Sgt. Kelcher were classified as missing. Later, information was received through the I.R.C.C. from a German source stating that Sgt. Kelcher had lost his life on the 11th September but stated no place of burial and in consequence he was reclassified as missing believed killed in action. Further information was received from the same source stating that he had been buried in the English Military Cemetery, South Cologne. In due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 11th September 1942. Later advice was received that his body had been reinterred in the Rheinburg Military Cemetery, Germany.

There were three other R.N.Z.A.F members of the crew namely P/O. K.J. Devlin of Wellington, Sgt. T.O. Metcalfe of Hawkes Bay and Sgt. D.J. Walshe of Wellington.

Find a Grave link with a photo of Sgt. Kelcher: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18407203/walter_foch-kelcher

5/2/4364
176 hours as Air Observer.

Mrs. I. Kelcher (M) (right aligned)
Maheno, No. 10 R.D. (right aligned)
OAMARU. (right aligned & underlined)