Page 4 - John D. Cormack

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John David Cormack was born in Beckenham, Kent on May 5 1923; John’s early
years were spent in Eltham, South East London. He attended Woolwich High
School, graduating from there in 1941, immediately enlisting in the
RAF Volunteer Reserve.

In November 1942 he arrived at No. 1 Air Crew Receiving Centre at Lords Cricket
Ground to be assessed for aircrew duties, having passed the examination and
received his inoculations he was posted in December 1942 to No. 2 Initial Training
Wing at Heaton Park, just outside Manchester. Having been assessed suitable for
Pilot duties he was dispatched to Canada on the SS Empress of Japan to begin his
Pilot training with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

This ship was, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour, renamed by the ships
owners (Canadian Pacific Cruise Lines) Empress of Scotland. John crossed the
Atlantic in a 70 ship convoy at the height of the battle of the Atlantic when German U
Boats were hunting the convoys, especially the slow moving ones. These Troopships
went at full speed and this ship had previously held an Atlantic record before the
Queen Mary took the title.

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From June 23 1943 to April 2 1944 he trained with three units in Canada,
20 Elementary Flying Training School at Oshawa, Ontario flying the R.C.A.F basic
trainer the Tiger Moth. Moving to 9 E.T.F.S at St Catherines, Ontario again flying the
Tiger Moth. Then posted to 9 Service Flying School at RCAF Centralia, Exeter,
Ontario flying single engine Harvard, then converting to the twin engine Avro
Hanson. Completing his pilots training he was awarded his Pilots Wings.

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After returning to the UK on April 2 1944 he was posted to the Aircrew Holding Unit
at RAF Harrogate (7 Personnel Reception Centre), being billeted in one of
Harrogate’s main hotels, the Majestic, Cecil or the Queen and Spa. From here he
attended a Ground Training Course with the RAF Regiment at RAF Whitley Bay on
Tyneside, this station was home to 24 Air Crew Holding Unit.
Further training was undertaken at 11 Elementary Flying Training School, Scone in
Pertshire, moving on to RAF Desford outside Leicester (7 E.F.T.S)
flying Avro Anson’s.

At this time Bomber Command had an oversupply not just of pilots but all aircrew
trades as the RAF’s training programs had initially assumed 10% aircrew losses, in
practice this was nearer 5% resulting in an oversupply of aircrew. Many aircrew
being held at Holding Units until positions became available. This holding of aircrew
by the RAF caused the Army and Navy Chiefs of Staff to complain and in a few
cases aircrew were reassigned to the other services.

John was informed that he could retrain as a flight engineer and then posted to
No. 4 School of Technical Training at St Athan in South Wales. He qualified as a
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flight engineer on December 2 1944.

John was then posted to RAF Fiskerton as a flight engineer with 576 Squadron, the
squadron just having transferred from RAF Elsham Wolds.