Family to pay tribute to Gordon Pursey as part of Anzac Day service

He will get the chance this week when he marches and delivers the formal address at the Coraki service.

"When my father, Neville Pursey, died in 1987 he left me the four medals awarded by Australia to his brother Gordon Pursey, who enlisted in Australia in the RAAF but was seconded to fly in Lancaster bombers in England in World War II from 1943 - 1944," Peter said.

"During my own 30 year military career it came to my attention that Gordon's medals were incomplete and the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) was not in the satchel left to me by my father.

"I came to the view that Gordon's medals had never been properly completed into a full medal set to include his Distinguished Flying Cross.

"This is the 80^th year since he died and from my point of view its about righting a wrong.

"His medals have never been marched as a set in Coraki which is where his name is on the memorial.

"In 2023 I had Gordon's original medals properly mounted and added a replica DFC to the set to ensure it could be kept for historical purposes," he said.

"I'm really thrilled as his nephew to be able to do this."

Peter was born in Coraki, raised on a dairy farm at Bora Ridge and was schooled at Bora Ridge and Lismore.

He served for 30 years in the regular Army as an Infantry Officer reaching the rank of Brigadier.

"In July 2023, I also visited Gordon's daughter near Manchester in the UK where I saw and held his original DFC," Peter said.

"I decided then that it would be an appropriate gesture to finally honour Gordon's war effort by marching his complete medal set."

Gordon was born in Coraki in 1919 and lived on the farm at Bora Ridge until he joined the RAAF to help with the war effort in 1942.

He qualified as an air gunner in Jan 1943 and two months later took a ship to England where he was posted to 57 Squadron, a Lancaster Bomber Squadron, based in Lincolnshire and in July 1943 was appointed as an officer in the RAF.

Throughout 1943 and 1944 he flew 53 missions over Europe, mainly Germany and France and later as part of the prestigious Pathfinder Squadron of Bomber Command.

In 1944 he was the mid upper gunner and awarded the Pathfinder Badge in April 1944. Gordon was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for a particular mission over Germany.

The DFC is awarded for acts of valour against the enemy whilst in the air.

Gordon's DFC citation notes that he completed a number of attacks over enemy territory including Berlin.

In a mission over a target in March 1944, he drove off an attack by a Messerschmidt and again drove off another attack by a Focke Wolfe fighter just minutes later.

It is recorded that Gordon and another gunner opened fire together and destroyed the enemy aircraft.

For this action Gordon and the crew of his aircraft were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Gordon died in an air crash in an electrical storm as he was returning from a bombing run on Givors in France in July 1944.

His aircraft collided with a Canadian bomber over the Pyrenees which caused both planes to crash land. Gordon's plane exploded killing all onboard.

He is buried in the Marseille war cemetery along with all other crew members.

He was married to Margaret who was a member of the Women's Army Corp and have a daughter Christine who today lives near Manchester in England.

His wife Margaret was presented with his Distinguished Flying Cross by King George VI at Buckingham Palace in 1945.

"It seemed to me that he had never been properly acknowledged in his home town and I was determined to bring it full circle so he has that proper recognition," Peter said.