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From this base as Captain of Stirling bomber aircraft he took part in nine operational flights to targets at Nuremburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Duisberg (2), Berlin, and Frankfurt in Germany and St. Nazaire in France.

Squadron Leader McCarthy was the captain of a Stirling bomber engaged during the night of the 14/15th April 1943 in a raid on Stuttgart. The aircraft failed to return to its base and all the crew including Squadron Leader McCarthy were classified as misisng. Later, information was received from a German official source through the International Red Cross that he had lost his life and in consequence was reclassified to missing believed killed in action. In due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 15th April 1943. Subsequently, further information was received through the International Red Cross confirming his death and stating that he was buried at Oberstenfeld, near Stuttgart, Germany.

A post-war casualty search revealed that his aircraft was attacke by a night fighter and crashed near the village of Lembach, 18 miles north-north-east of Stuttgart.

Find a Grave link with a photo of Squadron Leader McCarthy: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18427369/raymond_william-mccarthy

4/2/185 A.S.2.
1235 hours as pilot.

Mrs. C. McCarthy (M) (right aligned)
23, Pentland Avenue, (right aligned)
Mount Eden, (right aligned)
AUCKLAND, (right aligned)