Lot Essay
Sold with the recipient's original (South African Air Force) Flying Log Book, covering the period November 1942 to February 1945.
D.F.C. London Gazette 14.11.1944. Recommendation states 'Flying Officer McCormick has completed, as Navigator, 38 sorties on his first tour of operations, including attacks on such heavily defended targets as Hamburg, Dusseldorf and Karlsruhe. This Officer has displayed a coolness and presence of mind under all circumstances, regardless of opposition. His skill as a Navigator, and his determination to achieve his object, have been a source of inspiration to the remainder of his crew, and have imbued them with a high standard of morale. He has always shown an exceptional tenacity of purpose, skill and a fine offensive spirit, and when occasion demands, has shown unusual initiative. The successful completion of a comparatively difficult tour of operations by this crew has, in large measure, been due to this Officer's ability to make instant decisions in emergency, and to his resourcefulness and skilful airmanship. It is recommended that this Officer's courage and devotion to duty be recognised by the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross'.
Flying Officer William Arthur McCormick, D.F.C., who qualified as a Navigator at No. 47 Air School, Queenstown, South Africa in February 1943, received his first operational posting in March 1944, when he joined No. 640 Squadron at Leconfield, Yorkshire. Operating in Halifaxes, he commenced his tour with two outings to Frankfurt that month, although shortly afterwards the Squadron's brief was turned over to a number of French and Belgian targets in the lead-up to the Normandy Landings. On 5.6.1944, McCormick and his crew were assigned to attack the Gun Batteries at Maisy, Cherbourg, and on D Day itself, the Marshalling Yards at Chateaudun. Then between late June and early August, No. 640 attacked the 'Robot Plane Assembly Plants' at St. Martin L'Hortier, Oisemot, Le Grand Rossignol, Ferme de Forestal and Les Landes Vielles et Neuves, in addition to participating in 'Operation Clobber' against Caen on 18.7.1944 and four strikes against enemy installations in the Foret de Nieppe. One of these latter outings, on 5.8.1944, marked the completion of McCormick's 38-sortie tour.
D.F.C. London Gazette 14.11.1944. Recommendation states 'Flying Officer McCormick has completed, as Navigator, 38 sorties on his first tour of operations, including attacks on such heavily defended targets as Hamburg, Dusseldorf and Karlsruhe. This Officer has displayed a coolness and presence of mind under all circumstances, regardless of opposition. His skill as a Navigator, and his determination to achieve his object, have been a source of inspiration to the remainder of his crew, and have imbued them with a high standard of morale. He has always shown an exceptional tenacity of purpose, skill and a fine offensive spirit, and when occasion demands, has shown unusual initiative. The successful completion of a comparatively difficult tour of operations by this crew has, in large measure, been due to this Officer's ability to make instant decisions in emergency, and to his resourcefulness and skilful airmanship. It is recommended that this Officer's courage and devotion to duty be recognised by the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross'.
Flying Officer William Arthur McCormick, D.F.C., who qualified as a Navigator at No. 47 Air School, Queenstown, South Africa in February 1943, received his first operational posting in March 1944, when he joined No. 640 Squadron at Leconfield, Yorkshire. Operating in Halifaxes, he commenced his tour with two outings to Frankfurt that month, although shortly afterwards the Squadron's brief was turned over to a number of French and Belgian targets in the lead-up to the Normandy Landings. On 5.6.1944, McCormick and his crew were assigned to attack the Gun Batteries at Maisy, Cherbourg, and on D Day itself, the Marshalling Yards at Chateaudun. Then between late June and early August, No. 640 attacked the 'Robot Plane Assembly Plants' at St. Martin L'Hortier, Oisemot, Le Grand Rossignol, Ferme de Forestal and Les Landes Vielles et Neuves, in addition to participating in 'Operation Clobber' against Caen on 18.7.1944 and four strikes against enemy installations in the Foret de Nieppe. One of these latter outings, on 5.8.1944, marked the completion of McCormick's 38-sortie tour.