Lancaster bomber pilot and Riverland volunteer Howard Hendrick remembered

World War II Lancaster bomber pilot Howard Hendrick dies aged 102 Mon 15 Jun 2026 at 4:45pm Howard Hendrick will forever be remembered by his family and community for his service and generosity to others. Mr Hendrick died aged 102 last week after a period of deteriorating health. The proud Order of Australia and Distinguished Flying Cross recipient was one of the Royal Australian Air Force's last surviving World War II Lancaster bomber pilots. His daughter Margaret Davis said she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from so many people since his passing. "I know he is very well regarded in Loxton, and people speak highly of him in the Riverland but our phone has been running hot for the last two days," she said. "It has been lovely. People have given really meaningful comments about dad and the way he was and the way we knew him. "That has been really heartwarming." A life in the air and by the Murray Mr Hendrick was born in the South Australian town of Renmark on October 2, 1923. He was the eldest of three sons and attended school at Renmark North Primary School and Renmark High School at its former site. He enlisted with the Air Force Reserves in October 1940 just after his 17th birthday and was called up for duty in April 1942 and flew bombers over Europe. After being discharged in January 1946, the then 22-year-old became a commercial pilot for a number of years. Mr Hendrick's love of the sky did not end though and he climbed back into the cockpit to fly again around four decades later. He was regularly in the air, even into his 90s, although the later years were under the supervision of a co-pilot. The love for and in return for Loxton Eventually, Mr Hendrick made the journey back to his Riverland roots and took up a soldier settler's block where he produced fruit with his family. He moved to the nearby Riverland town of Loxton and called the community home until the very end. "My fondest memories were actually working on the block with Dad," Ms Davis said. "Jane and I did a lot of cutting apricots and helping Dad with the grapevines." He volunteered for many community organisations and groups over the years, including Loxton's St Albert's Catholic School. In an interview with the ABC in 2023, Mr Hendrick said his passion for giving back stemmed from the kindness he had been shown by the community. "We were very poor when we opened the block. We were only given an allowance," Mr Hendrick said. "The [school] were very good to me. They waived the fees and things like that to help the children. They were very good. "When they [my children] left and went … they were asking for volunteers to hear children read or help in the school in some way and that's how I started as one of their volunteers." One of the many people who saw Mr Hendrick's dedication to the community first-hand was Neil Schlein, president of the Loxton Returned Service League (RSL). Mr Schlein, who was also a neighbour, said the 102-year-old was a part of the fabric of the town and the RSL. "Howard was, almost I could say, idolised by the community of Loxton for what he has contributed over the many, many years,"he said. "Up until a couple of years ago, he would never miss a working bee at the RSL and it really hurt him if he had to miss a meeting." The love for his town was not one-sided, with the Loxton community giving its appreciation in return. He was named the Loxton Waikerie Citizen of the Year in 2016. In 2023, the Loxton Show Society dedicated the annual two-day event to Mr Hendrick and his 100th birthday celebration. A year later, the Loxton Waikerie Council named a street to also honour him. The Country Bakehouse staff also named and installed a plaque in one of its corners in respect to their much loved and frequent customer. Family's pride beyond passing While Mr Hendrick was an impressive man, to Ms Davis, he will always be dad. "He was a gentleman, that's what people say, but that's how we knew him," she said. "The fact that he was citizen of the year and very honoured to be so, suggests that other people did see what we saw in dad. "He had values that he really espoused and you heaven help us if we didn't espouse them too." Mr Hendrick is survived by his two daughters, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.