LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant James Vivian Raymond McCARTIN
Service No: 407795
Born: Kilkenny SA, 22 August 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1941
Unit: No. 2 Instrument Flying School (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 2 Instrument Flying School Tutor aircraft K 6925), Nairn, Scotland, 20 June 1942, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Inverness (Tomnahurich) Cemetery, Inverness-shire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Sidney and Beatrice Anne McCartin; husband of Frances Mary McCartin, of Adelaide, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
On the 20 June 1942, Tutor K6925 crashed at Nairn during aerobatics at a very low altitude, and the crew of two were killed. In the opinion of an officer investigating the crash “the accident was due to the aircraft in an inverted position and at a very low altitude, suddenly nose diving into the ground due to an error of judgement by the Pilot. The Captain, an Instructor, completely disregarded regulations concerning aerobatics.”
The crew members of K 6925 were:
Sergeant James Vivian Raymond McCartin (407795) (Pilot under Instruction)
Flying Officer Thomas Kenneth Rees (46817) (RAF) (Instructor Pilot)
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, 163/141/593