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401470 Pilot Officer John Justin Neville McCARTHY. (surname underlined)
Brother: Mr. C.K. McCarthy of Mt. Eden AUCKLAND (city underlined)

John McCarthy was born at Auckland on the 10th February 1915. He received his secondary education at the Sacred Heart College, Auckland, and passed the University Entrance examination. He played football and cricket for his college, also representing both Auckland and Wellington in track walking events from 1934 to 1937. He joined the Police in 1937 and at the time of applying for enlistment in aircrew on the 16th September 1939, was stationed at Wellington.

Pilot Officer McCarthy was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin on the 20th May 1940 and employed there and at Wigram as a Physical Training Instructor, until remustered to aircrew and reposted to the Initial Training Wing, Levin, on the 22nd December 1940. He proceeded to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School, Taieri, on the 8th February 1941 for his elementary flying training and to No. 1 Service Flying Training School, Wigram on the 22nd March. Here on the 14th June 1941 he was awarded the flying badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He was further promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 1st January 1942 and commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer on the 13th March 1943. Meanwhile on the 22nd July 1941 he embarked for the United Kingdom.

Pilot Officer McCarthy arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 2nd September 1941 and was posted to No. 19 Operational Training Unit, Kinloss, Scotland on the 15th of the month. Here he crewed up and completed his training as pilot of Whitley bomber aircraft, before posting early in November to No. 207 Squadron, first at Waddington, Lincoln, then at Bottesford, Nottingham, and again at Waddington. With this Squadron as 2nd pilot of Manchester bomber aircraft he took aprt in eight operational flights to targets at Hamburg, Emden (2), and Munster, in Germany; Cherbourg, Brest, and Paris in France, and German battle cruisers off the Hook of Holland. During March 1942 he converted to Lancaster heavy bombers and as captain of these aircraft took part in a further sixteen operational