Info: Australian? Allied Unit, Sgt Bernard Rex McCormack 129 Sqn RAF

I have been unable to source any military or personal details on this member and nothing through Newspapers in Melbourne where his parents and wife lived.

Any information on his death etc would be appreciated.



In Memory of
Sergeant Pilot
Bernard Rex McCormack
1331852, 129 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died on 19 June 1942 Age 27
Son of Bernard James McCormack and Clara V. McCormack, of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; husband of
Dora McCormack, of Melbourne.
Remembered with Honour
Chichester Cemetery

 

His pre-war militia record is available on-line, but I suppose it doesn't really lead anywhere.....

 

19 June 1942

129 Squadron
Spitfire Vb BL244

Scrambled evening and attacked by two Fw190s of JG2, crashed near Siddlesham, Sussex.

Sgt. B R. McCormack +

Source - RAF Fighter Command Losses. Vol.2 - N L R. Franks.

 

His pre-war militia record is available on-line, but I suppose it doesn't really lead anywhere.....

Thanks Dave.

Good info nonetheless.

Home address / work etc

Cheers

Geoff

 

19 June 1942

129 Squadron
Spitfire Vb BL244

Scrambled evening and attacked by two Fw190s of JG2, crashed near Siddlesham, Sussex.

Sgt. B R. McCormack +

Source - RAF Fighter Command Losses. Vol.2 - N L R. Franks.

Thanks Peter,

Great info.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Although I am unable to track his travel to the UK and when he joined the RAF there are links from his Militia Attestation posted by DaveB.

Hopefully some more information will be forthcoming.

Natural Born British subject.

Date of Birth: 21st May 1915
Residence: "Hillburn" 15 Scott Grove, Glen Iris, Victoria (Close suburb to Melbourne)

The actual address in a nice leafy suburb:



Employment: J.W. Handley Pty Ltd
Address: 655 Victoia Street Abbotsford
Makers of Optimal Prisms (Large war time manufacturer)



Loss details from Peter:

19 June 1942

129 Squadron
Spitfire Vb BL244

Scrambled evening and attacked by two Fw190s of JG2, crashed near Siddlesham, Sussex.

Sgt. B R. McCormack +

Source - RAF Fighter Command Losses. Vol.2 - N L R. Franks.



CWGC confirmation:

In Memory of
Sergeant Pilot
Bernard Rex McCormack
1331852, 129 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died on 19 June 1942 Age 27
Son of Bernard James McCormack and Clara V. McCormack, of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; husband of
Dora McCormack, of Melbourne.
Remembered with Honour
Chichester Cemetery

 

A couple of clues - one from the second page of the AMF form shows that he was discharged from his battalion when he moved to Western Australia. I have tried expanding the newspaper search but without any further info.

Next I tried searching for news of his mother (Clara Victoria McCormack - NOK on his AMF form) and I got one hit which showed that she passed away in 1940 and at the time she was a widow.

By the time Bernard died he had no living blood relatives (I presume) which may explain the lack of notices in Aussie newspapers.

I wonder if the wife's details will lead anywhere.......


aha - married in early 1939 in London, but who placed the notice in the Melbourne newspaper??

 

Or I could be wrong with a couple of my guesses, he had plenty of siblings in Melbourne and they placed a death notice for him. In fact his aunt kept placing in memoriam notices in his memory for at least the next three years.






Although I'm inclined to believe that the CWGC family details should delete the final "of Melbourne"

 

No sign of his brother Ian on the ww2 roll, but Alan definitely served.

Enlisted in 1937 and discharged in 1957 as a Wing Commander RAAF - ex-POW and with an AFC (not recorded on the roll).

He became a POW according to the NAA file in this incident while with 466SQN -

McCORMACK, Alan Ower - (Wing Commander); Service Number - 376; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Halifax X294; Place - unknown - target Berlin; Date - 28 January 1944

 

Good searching Dave.

The obit says Pilot Officer, his headstone states Sergeant Pilot.

The 1942 obit states the nearby suburb of Malvern.

I doubt there would be any luck in getting the "of Melbourne" changed however to initially search for Australians in the RAF using Geoff's sesarch engine, I used Australia, Melbourne, Sydney etc as a feature and he did not come up at that time.

 

No sign of his brother Ian on the ww2 roll, but Alan definitely served.

Enlisted in 1937 and discharged in 1957 as a Wing Commander RAAF - ex-POW and with an AFC (not recorded on the roll).

He became a POW according to the NAA file in this incident while with 466SQN -

McCORMACK, Alan Ower - (Wing Commander); Service Number - 376; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Halifax X294; Place - unknown - target Berlin; Date - 28 January 1944

I was just checking out the other siblings on the Nominal Roll and saw Alan Ower born Armadale (another near suburb) which could have been a private hospital.

I did not have time to check the NAA.

Well done.

W.R. Chorley 1944 Page 64: and Alan Storr

466 SQUADRON RAAF WORLD WAR 2 FATALITIES

Date of Death: 29 January 1944

Source:

AWM 64 1/360 Part 1 AWM 237 (64) AWM 54 779/3/129 Parts 1 and 19
Commonwealth War Graves records.
Aircraft Type:
Halifax
Serial number:
HX 294
Radio call sign:
HD – A
Unit:
466 Sqn RAAF

Summary:

Halifax HX284 took off from RAF Leconfield at 0007 hours on the night of 28/29th January 1944 to bomb Berlin. Fourteen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and three of these including HX294 failed to return.

Crew:

RAAF 376 Sqn Ldr McCormack, A O Captain (Pilot)
RAAF 406223 PO Tylor, J W (Navigator)
RAAF 410755 Flt Sgt G Walker, (Bomb Aimer)
RAAF 415763 Flt Sgt J R Clark, (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
RAAF 417026 Flt Sgt R Whitfield, (Rear Gunner)
RAAF 424310 Flt Sgt S L Smith, (Mid Upper Gunner)
RAF Sgt R Collings, (Flight Engineer)

Post war it was established that the aircraft came down in the Baltic between the Danish Islands of Tasinge and Stryno. PO Tylor’s body was washed ashore at Nakkebolle Fjord and he is buried in the Extension Cemetery Faaborg. Faaborg is a small town on the south coast of the Island of Fyn, which lies between Jutland and Zealand, Denmark. The other six crew members were POW’s.

In a 1945 statement Sqn Ldr McCormack reported “Returning after having bombed. Engines cut out over Denmark. Could have been water in the petrol or tanks holed by night fighter which we fought. Ordered bale out all acknowledged. All crew baled out. A/c in control when I baled out at 3000ft. A/c crashed east of the Island of Langeland in Baltic. Tylor’s body was washed up at Faaborg, Denmark. All others POW’s. Released by British at Lubeck.”

In 1945 Flt Sgt Whitfield reported “On night Jan 19th on return from target trouble with the petrol tanks. Captain ordered bale out and acknowledged. All baled out between 3/4000ft. A/c under control and not any damage. None in A/c when I baled out. I was last out following the Captain. As I did not have mae west on Captain waited until I was OK then jumped and I followed. Normal jump front hatch.

Crashed somewhere east coast of Denmark. On landing rested for several hours. I was on an island. Went to farm house for
help. Handed over to Danish police who handed me over to the Germans. Danish people scared to help. Liberated by English troop on 2/5/45.”

This is Tylor in Faaborg Cemetery:



Cheers

Geoff

 

Here is the entry in the 129 Squadron ORB for 19 June 1942.

Mark

 

Just worked out why the AFC for Alan isn't on his ww2 roll entry - it was received post-war "For services as a pilot during the 1955 NSW floods" (www.itsanhonour.gov.au)





and a war-time photo of his crew

Halifax crew of No. 466 Squadron RAAF, at RAF Station Leconfield. Identified, left to right: 376 Squadron Leader Alan Owen McCormack, of Melbourne, Vic; Sergeant R. Collings, RAF; 406223 Pilot Officer Jack Wilfred Tylor, of Katanning, WA; 410755 Flight Sergeant (Fl Sgt) G. Walker, of Melbourne, Vic; 415763 FL Sgt J R. Clark, of Dumbleyung, WA; 424310 Fl Sgt S. L. Smith, of Manly, NSW; 417026 Fl Sgt Ross Albert Whitfield, of Adelaide, SA. Whilst on operations over Denmark, this crew was forced to bale out of their Halifax bomber, the aircraft's fuel lines freezing while over the Danish coast returning from a raid on Berlin on the night of 29/30 January 1944. All the crew bailed out but PO Tylor was killed; the rest of the crew spent the remainder of the war as POWs.

Permalink: UK0956 | Australian War Memorial


and post-war

Point Cook, NSW. 1947-03-07. At RAAF Station Point Cook, Wing Commander A. O. McCormack (standing), briefs the aircraft crews who will carry out a reconnaissance/survey flight of Macquarie Island, Australian Antarctic Territory in a Consolidated Catalina Flying Boat, operating from Perth, WA.

Permalink: VIC2054 | Australian War Memorial

 

Here is the entry in the 129 Squadron ORB for 19 June 1942.

Mark
View attachment 86423

Fantastic - Thanks Mark.

 

Just worked out why the AFC for Alan isn't on his ww2 roll entry - it was received post-war "For services as a pilot during the 1955 NSW floods" (www.itsanhonour.gov.au)





and a war-time photo of his crew

Halifax crew of No. 466 Squadron RAAF, at RAF Station Leconfield. Identified, left to right: 376 Squadron Leader Alan Owen McCormack, of Melbourne, Vic; Sergeant R. Collings, RAF; 406223 Pilot Officer Jack Wilfred Tylor, of Katanning, WA; 410755 Flight Sergeant (Fl Sgt) G. Walker, of Melbourne, Vic; 415763 FL Sgt J R. Clark, of Dumbleyung, WA; 424310 Fl Sgt S. L. Smith, of Manly, NSW; 417026 Fl Sgt Ross Albert Whitfield, of Adelaide, SA. Whilst on operations over Denmark, this crew was forced to bale out of their Halifax bomber, the aircraft's fuel lines freezing while over the Danish coast returning from a raid on Berlin on the night of 29/30 January 1944. All the crew bailed out but PO Tylor was killed; the rest of the crew spent the remainder of the war as POWs.

Permalink: UK0956 | Australian War Memorial


and post-war

Point Cook, NSW. 1947-03-07. At RAAF Station Point Cook, Wing Commander A. O. McCormack (standing), briefs the aircraft crews who will carry out a reconnaissance/survey flight of Macquarie Island, Australian Antarctic Territory in a Consolidated Catalina Flying Boat, operating from Perth, WA.

Permalink: VIC2054 | Australian War Memorial

He must have been 6'7" tall.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


His second name (OWER) bothered me as I had never heard of it before.

Nominal Roll:

MCCORMACK, ALAN OWER
O375
Owen sounds better.

Cheers

Geoff

NB:

Air Marshal of the RAAF was McCormack

Errol McCormack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wonder if he was a relative - He was born in 1941?

 

More on Errol John:

McCORMACK, Errol John, AO 1998 (AM 1993); b. 30 Aug. 1941 Bundaberg, Qld; educ. Bundaberg State High Sch; joined RAAF as aircrew cadet 1962, completed flying trg and commissioned 1963; served with 3 & 79 Sqns in Malaysia & Thailand 1964-66, with 2 Sqn in Vietnam 1967; with 82 Wg 1967-69 (incl. conversion trg onto F111 in US 1968); on exch to USAF, flew RF4Cs with 363 Tac Recon Wg at Shaw AFB, S. Carolina, 1970-72; Staff Offr for Op. Requirements (Recon.), Air Force Office 1972-75; grad. RAAF Staff Coll. 1976, then joined Dir. Staff 1976-77; CO 1 Sqn 1977-79; grad. Joint Services Staff Coll. 1980, then joined Dir. Staff 1981-83; Pers Staff Offr to AOC Op. Comd. 1983-84; Ops Offr, Op. Comd. 1984-86; OC 82 Wg Amberley, Qld, 1987-88; Dir-Gen. Op. Requirements, Air Force 1989-90; Dir-Gen. Force Development (Air), HQ ADF 1990-92; Air Attache Washington 1993-94; Comdr IADS, Malaysia, 1995-97; DCAS 1997-98; CAF 1998-2001 (retd.)


Source: http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Contents/About-APDC/About-APDC/Office-of-Air-Force-History/Air-Marshals-of-the-RAAF/134/Air-Marshals.aspx

 

More on Errol John:



Source: http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Contents/About-APDC/About-APDC/Office-of-Air-Force-History/Air-Marshals-of-the-RAAF/134/Air-Marshals.aspx

Thanks Mark,

Would have been interesting if they were related.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Looking at the Electoral Registers I have:

1. Bernard James McCormack, with Clara, living at 6 Rosslyn Street., Auburn in 1924

2. Bernard James McCormack, with Clara, at cr. Monaro & Mernda Rds, Malvern in 1924

3. Bernard James McCormack, with Clara Victoria at Olindare, Hornsby St., Malvern East

4. Bernard Rex McCormack, at 15 Scott Gr, Gardiner, Henty

Mark

 

Looking at the Electoral Registers I have:

1. Bernard James McCormack, with Clara, living at 6 Rosslyn Street., Auburn in 1924

2. Bernard James McCormack, with Clara, at cr. Monaro & Mernda Rds, Malvern in 1924

3. Bernard James McCormack, with Clara Victoria at Olindare, Hornsby St., Malvern East

4. Bernard Rex McCormack, at 15 Scott Gr, Gardiner, Henty

Mark

Thanks Mark,

Moved around a bit however brother Alan was in Real Estate so the father may have been also.

Cheers

Geoff

 

I'm Rex's niece and have quite a few details if you still have any questions unanswered. He was the eldest of 6 children. His brother Ian wasn't in the war - medical reasons. My father was Alan - of whom you have quite a few details.