LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Thomas Stephens McCARTNEY
Service No: 402801
Born: Rowarth England, 4 July 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 October 1940 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 117 Squadron (RAF), Agartala, India
Died: Air Operations: (No. 117 Squadron Dakota aircraft KG 537), Myanmar, 30 July 1944, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Julius and Annie Broadley McCartney; husband of Ivy Kathleen McCartney, of Bracken Ridge, Sandgate, Queensland, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Column 443, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Dakota KG 537 of 117 Squadron left Syhet at 0636 hrs local time on 30 July 1944, for positions 25.15N 096.40E and 25.17N 096.58E to carry out an operational supply drop mission. The last message received from the aircraft stated ‘being attacked by Japanese fighters at 24.50N 095.55E south of Chindwin, Burma.’ The aircraft failed to return to base and nothing further heard of aircraft or crew.
The crew members of KG 537 were:
Flying Officer Francis Henry Baggs (406038) (Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Thomas Stephens McCartney (402801) (Navigator)
Flight Lieutenant Brian Gerrard Levins O’Reilly (47367) (RAF) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Hugh Crawford Young (186542) (RAFVR)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/26/534