LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Leonard James McCARTHY
Service No: 426371
Born: Brisbane QLD, 3 April 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1942
Unit: No. 76 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Holme-on-Spalding Moor
Died: Air Operations: (No. 76 Squadron Halifax aircraft LK921), Germany, 20 January 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Andrew and Thereza Elizabeth McCarthy, of South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1634 hours on the night of 20 January 1944 Halifax LK921 took off from Holme-on-Spalding Moor detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed in open countryside some 15kms north west of Burgkemnitz, a village north of Mulrestrausee, and about 25 miles due north of Leipzig, Germany. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of LK921 were:
Flight Sergeant Arthur Leach Patterson Gibson (R/159358) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant James Thomas Hadland (1851439) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Frederick William Hickman (1331452) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Leonard James McCarthy (426371) (Tail Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Jack Leonard Miriams (658855) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Victor Parrott (J/19584) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Cyril Claude Vicary (1628411) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
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, 166/36/345
Bibliography:
Chorley W R, To See the Dawn Breaking: 76 Squadron Operations, W R Chorley Devon UK, 1981