Acting Wing Commander JOC Kercher
John Owen Cecil Kercher
- Rank
- Wing Commander
- Later rank
- Acting Wing Commander
- Honours
- DSO, MiD
- Squadron
- No 21 Squadron
- School
- Selborne College, Queen's College
- Born
- 1916
- Fate
- Survived the war. Died 1969
- In the book
- Pages 74, 75
From the book
More than a “Few” South Africans
John Owen Cecil Kercher was born in Brandfort, a small town 50 km north of South Africa’s Bloemfontein in 1916. Having attended Queens College, he completed his schooling at Selborne with both Eastern Cape schools recording his name. Commissioned in 1938, he flew No 266 Squadron Fairey Battles in France in 1940 and converted to Blenheim’s in 1941. He was an acting Wing Commander and led No 21 Squadron’s low-level Cologne power station attack earning an immediate “Distinguished Service Order” announced in “The London Gazette” on September 12th, 1941. One of his squadron pilots, the legendary English test cricketer John Edrich, a Squadron Leader at the time, earned the “Distinguished Flying Cross” during the raid.
More than a “Few” South Africans
The award announcement preceded “The London Gazette” September 19th confirmation of his August 29th promotion to Flight Lt, implying Kercher was technically a Flying Officer at the time of the attack and although his acting Wing Commander status was unusual, No 2 Group had lost six Wing Commanders in a matter of days.
More than a “Few” South Africans
Kercher was no longer commanding No 21 Squadron and No 2 Group, did not participate in the November 7th, 1941, raid when 329 bombers were dispatched to Germany in bad weather. Thirty-seven aircraft failed to return 4 and 84 airmen including 27- year -old Sgt Ernest Johnson Sargent, a South African No 78 Squadron Whitely aircrew member from East London lost their lives.
More than a “Few” South Africans
Identified as a Wing Commander in a January 1st, 1942 “Mentioned in Despatches” announcement, Kercher’s Far East posting included commanding an RAF contingent on a British Troopship destined for Singapore and dealing with a minor revolt regarding conditions during their Durban stopover. The nature of his Far East posting is unclear, subsequently listed as a Squadron Leader he flew No 102 Squadron Halifax’s during D-Day but was not operational after July 1944.
More than a “Few” South Africans
Wing Commander JOC Kercher DSO served in the Royal Air Force Reserve of Officers for many years, relinquished his commission in 1958 and died in England in 1969.