LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Cormack Terence McLOUGHLIN
Service No: 404254
Born: Brisbane QLD, 9 June 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1940
Unit: No. 458 Squadron, Shallufa, Egypt
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 37 Squadron Wellington aircraft DV644), Abu Sueir, Egypt, 2 August 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Tel-el-Kebir War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Terence and Margaret Jane McLoughlin, of Ashgrove, Queensland, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington DV644 was stationary on the Landing ground and the crew who were from No. 458 Squadron was all on board when the accident occurred on 2 August 1942. Boston AL 696 of No 24 Squadron SAAF hit the stationary aircraft on landing. The Boston was believed to be in difficulties as the result of pilot disorientation. DV644 was completely wrecked by fire and bombs exploding. The fire spread and three other unoccupied aircraft were set on fire and wrecked.
The crew members of DV644 were:
Sergeant James George Barlow (960943) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Donald Ernest Bottomley (987758) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant W R Darling (40720) (RNZAF) (Air Gunner) (No. 37 Squadron) Uninjured
Flight Sergeant Cormack Terence McLoughlin (404254) (Observer)
Sergeant J L Whitworth (1435157) (RAFVR) (Pilot) (No. 37 Squadron) Uninjured
The crew members of AL696 were:
Lieutenant D Geddes (102399) (SAAF)
Sergeant Albert Leslie Hopkins (41622) (RNZAF)
Lieutenant W H Martin (102563) (SAAF) (Pilot)
The accident also destroyed No. 37 Squadron (RAF) Wellington aircraft DV641, HX480 and HP832.
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
Gunby, David and Pelham Temple, Royal Air Force Bomber Losses in the Middle East and Mediterranean Volume 1 1939-1942, Midland Publishing, England, 2006
Bibliography:
Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959