LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Vincent Alwyn McCARTHY
Service No: 420029
Born: Newtown NSW, 9 January 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 October 1941
Unit: No. 682 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 682 Squadron Spitfire aircraft BR430), off Crete, 14 February 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. McCarthy, of Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 16, Column 2, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Remembrance Driveway Memorial Plantation, Yagoona NSW
At 1330 hours on 14 February 1944 Spitfire BR430 flown by Flight Sergeant McCarthy took off from Tocra for a photo reconnaissance of targets Candia and Pirasus. In view of the fact that strong winds were forecast BR430 was instructed to turn back to Tocra at 1545 hours irrespective of the photo cover up to then. The aircraft was correctly on track to Candia at 1412 hours and 164 miles from base. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft after that and it did not return to base. At 1720 hours with the aircraft overdue, air sea rescue action was initiated but no trace of the missing aircraft or Flight Sergeant McCarthy was found. No distress calls were received from the aircraft. In 1949 it was recorded that the missing pilot had lost his life at sea.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/26/374
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line