F/SGT  CORMACK TERENCE MCLOUGHLIN SERVICE NUMBER 404254 

Cormack's Service record is available from the National Archives and is included here. A tragic story of a 458 hero. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his family, friends, country.

A brief overview of the tragedy is described in our Official Squadron History book 'We Find and Destroy' (2002 edition) page 63. "On 2 August (1942), an airborne Boston aircraft got into some sort of unidentified trouble and caused one of the most damaging catastrophes of the air war in Egypt. After firing off red Very lights he suddenly came in to land at Abu Sueir, downward and much too fast on the wrong runway - the one not in use. His brakes wholly failed to hold him and he swung off the runway into a line of parked and bombed-up Wellingtons. He crashed straight into F/Lt Moran's 'K for Kitty' and burst into flames. The Wellington caught fire instantly and in a matter of seconds the whole machine was engulfed. The 'rodded' bombs aboard exploded and the flying red-hot metal set fire to three other Wellingtons and damaged two more, as well as an Oxford. Of F/Lt Moran's crew in K for Kitty, who were stowing their gear at the time, two, Roy Darling and a second pilot who was 'on loan' to the crew escaped from the aircraft. Three other well known 458 men, 'Snowy' Barlow, 'Mac' McLoughlin and Don Bottomley were not so lucky. Cormack McLoughlin is remembered still with great affection by his family and surviving friends. His younger brother, Bernie, subsequently came to 458 Squadron as a Pilot."

We welcome the family to Contact us to add more content to this/his webpage.