LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Leonard Brian McDERMOTT
Service No: 413011
Born: Albury NSW, 21 August 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 15 August 1941
Unit: No. 92 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 92 Squadron Spitfire aircraft JF585), off the Italian Coast, 24 January 1944, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Felix Peter and Elizabeth Jane McDermott, of East Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 16, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 24 January 1944 Spitfire JF585 being flown by Flying Officer McDermott on patrol called up his Section Leader on radio at 0850 hours when approximately 6 miles south of Gaeta Point, and reported that his engine had failed and that he was about to bale out. This he was seen to do but for some reason on reaching the sea he did not get into his dinghy. Prolonged and meticulous searching at a low altitude failed to locate him. The position was recorded as 41.07N 013.38E. In 1948 search parties in Italy were unable to find any trace of the wrecked aircraft or of the pilot, and it was recorded that Flying Officer McDermott had been lost 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, 166/26/351