How to trace Irish RAF Airman?

Tabnabs

After great success with WW1 relatives on this forum, I was handed the challenge of finding out about another relative that died in combat.

All I have is that his surname was McCabe and that he was an airman in the RAF and died in 1944.

The closest thing I can find is this entry.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2039915/mccabe,-john/

But unfortunately it gives no details about next of kin etc. so impossible to know his background. Can anyone give me any useful pointers when searching for WW2 causalities?

Manic Moran

Requesting Records

Military service records from prior to 1920 are available through the British National Archives, specifically for World War I service, and for service through 1913. Much of the information is accessible online through Ancestry.co.uk or FindMyPast.co.uk, which do involve fees, although the sites offer free trial periods and periodically make military records free to everyone for certain holidays. Documents can be accessed free of charge by visiting the Archives, but copies do cost money, whether done in person or by request Be aware that some records may have been destroyed by during the bombings of London in World War II.

Post-1920 records are requested from the UK Government https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/overview , and can be requested by the next of kin. The spouse of a service member may request the records if they are deceased (and the service member themselves), but all other persons pay a £30 fee.

In the case of a person killed in action, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission includes a searchable database of all persons killed in action in the various British and Commonwealth forces during the World Wars, which includes some information.

The Red Cross files for the WWI prisoners are available on the ICRC.

In addition to these, for officers, the National Library of Scotland has digitised the Army http://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/pageturner.cfm?id=88735803 , Navy and Air Force Lists for the First and Second World Wars. These include lists of officers by seniority and alphabetically, with some further details, especially for senior officers. The Navy List includes a ship-by-ship listing of officers, but the Army and Air Force Lists do not have similar unit listings.

Sultan_of_Ping

National Archives at Kew will have the Squadron diaries and the adjutant records which may shed more light on the circumstances of his death.

Also sometimes, depending on the adjutant, there may be extra details about people recorded.

You might also try the Bomber Command Association.......it looks like 61 Sqdn flew Lancasters.

tac foley

Two Airmen named McCabe were killed in action in 1944 - one of these is probably your man. 'Died in combat' will not help you much on an English website - it is not a term used by The UK MoD.

McCABE
Flight Sergeant W/Op
1054161
BERNARD THOMAS
Saturday, November 18, 1944
Age 24
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
VIEW RECORD
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
United Kingdom

86 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Son of Thomas and Mary McCabe, of Manchester; husband of Flora McCabe, of Manchester.

The gentleman above has no known grave.

This gentleman, however, was in 61 Sqn RAFVR.

McCABE
Sergeant WOP/Air
1348047
JOHN
Saturday, September 23, 1944
REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY
VIEW RECORD
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
United Kingdom

Hope this helps.

tac