As one of 40,000 Australians who died while service in the WWII, his name is listed on the Roll of Honour.

During the service, his photograph was displayed beside the Pool of Reflection and his life story was told to remember and pay tribute.

Geoffrey Bucknell, born on May 9, 1911 at "Newstead North" in Inverell, was the son of Norman and Ruby Bucknell.

He attended the Shore School and went on to work as a grazier on the family property. On May 14, 1936 Geoffrey married Joan Black.

Two children were born to the couple; Anne and Peter.

Bucknell paraded part-time with the 12^th Lighthorse Regiment, reaching the rank of sergeant. During the Second World War, on January 31, 1942, he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force.

After initial training, he trained as a pilot at bases in Narromine, Bundaberg, Bradfield Park and Ascot Vale. ]

In early March 1943, he embarked from Melbourne on the Nieu Amsterdam bounch for overseas service.

As part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, Bucknell was one of almost 27,500 RAAF pilots, navigators, wireless operators, gunners and engineers who, throughout the course of the war, trained in anticipation of joining Royal Air Force squadrons or Australian squadrons based in Britain.

After landing at San Francisco, Bucknell travelled with comrades to the east coast of America, visiting New York before leaving on the retired British ocean liner Queen Mary.

Landing in Liverpool, Bucknell then travelled by train to Bournemouth.

By late August he had joined an operational training unit based at RAF Wymeswold in Leicestershire, where he trained with night bomber crews.

After being promoted to pilot officer on February 7, 1944 in mid-March he was posted to 50 Squadron RAF.

In early May the Glen Innes Examiner reported news from Bucknell, which related that he "participated in several flying visits to Germany" and sent on his message that "our crew of seven now consider themselves old hands, and, believe it or not we quite enjoy the operations."

Towards the end of May, Bucknell transferred to 97 Squadron, based at RAF Wddington which was flying four-engined Avro Lancaster heavy bombers against German targets.

On August 6, 1944 Bucknell was the pilot of a Lancaster that was part of a mission to bomb a V1 rocket fuel depot in northern France.

As Bucknell's bomber finished the mission, it was hit by a German flak. A few minutes later the petrol tank exploded.

A later account related: Geoff had a gash in his forehead and was slumped over the controls. The bomber aimer and engineer opened the escape hatch and could easily have bailed out, but they were flung into the nose of the plane.

The plane fell like a stone afterwards, developing into a spin and disintegrating. Geoff was obviously unconscious and possibly killed outright.

The Lancaster crashed close to the intersection of village, destroying part of one house and causing damage to its neighbour.

Lieutenant Rodney James had managed to escape the aircraft, opening his parachute and landing nearby.

James was taken care of by a local resident, whose family helped to hide him from the German soldiers, eventually taking him to Paris. James managed to reach London and re-join his squadron and report what had happened.

Other crew members were not so lucky. Flying Sergeant Ronald McAllister, Flying Sergeant Leslie Daitz, Sergeant Leonard Barlow, Sergeant Clifford Dyke, Sergeant William Patience, Sergeant Leslie Farmer and Flying Officer Geoffrey Charles Bucknell, 33 at the time, died as a result of the crash.

The crew were buried in the nearby Clichy Cemetary where Geoffrey Bucknell's remains lie today, under the inscription "always in our memory".