By Lisa Ramsden
Treasured medals, photographs and wartime documents, carefully stored away in a local family home, bear testament to the courage—and luck—of a local man who served in the Far East during World War Two. Tommy McCormick was stationed in Singapore when it fell to the Japanese in February 1942. In a remarkable tale of survival, he evaded capture and miraculously swam between islands to avoid enemy forces.
Three years later, on 15 August 1945, Japan surrendered, effectively ending the war. This week marks the 80th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day), and a relative of Tommy has recalled some of the many memories he shared with his family and others.
Neil Cousins, Tommy’s grandson, said it was clear his grandfather’s time overseas came at a personal cost. Often plagued by nightmares due to the horrors he witnessed at sea during his naval career, Tommy bravely shared many of these experiences with loved ones in later life. He passed away in 1996, and his children and grandchildren remain immensely proud of both his military service and his life afterward.
“We should always be grateful to our veterans and their sacrifices,” said Neil, who lives in Kilkeel. “I’m very proud of my grandfather’s time in the Royal Navy and what he endured during the war in the Pacific.”
Born in Annalong in 1913, Tommy trained as a stonemason and worked at Thomas’s Quarry, overlooking Newcastle. In the 1930s, he and his brother Robert moved to Scotland to work as kerb dressers, laying stone. It was there he met his future wife, Mary, and the couple began a family.
On 5 March 1941, just days before the devastating Clydebank Blitz, Tommy volunteered for the Royal Navy at the age of 28. While he was away, Mary gave birth to their third child. By July that year, Tommy was based at HMS Sultan, a naval base in Singapore, working in the yard and on small vessels. Later, he would recall having to dive into the water to escape Japanese aircraft attacks on the ships he worked on.
On 11 October 1941, Tommy transferred to the light cruiser HMS Danae, which carried a complement of 462 men. His duties included loading ammunition and carrying out maintenance work. During his time aboard, Danae supported Allied convoys in the South China Sea, operating alongside ships like Australia’s HMAS Canberra, which was crippled and sunk in the Battle of Savo Island in August 1942.
In later years, Tommy would speak of the trauma he endured while retrieving bodies from the sea following the sinking of the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse in December 1941. These two ships were part of British Force Z and were sunk by Japanese bombers just days after the attack on Pearl Harbour.
According to Neil, his grandfather never forgot the horrors of those days. “What he witnessed during those strikes was an experience which gave him nightmares for years to come,” he said.
After Danae returned to the UK for a refit, Tommy was reassigned to the naval yard in Singapore. But in early February 1942, as the Japanese closed in on the island, he joined a mass evacuation of British, Naval and RAF personnel. “On the 8th of February 1942, it became apparent that Singapore would fall,” said Neil. “My grandfather escaped on one of the small boats used in the evacuation.”
Following the surrender of Singapore on 15 February, over 85,000 Allied troops were taken prisoner and forced to work as slave labour on projects like the infamous Burma Railway. Tommy later described the “truly horrific” cruelty these men endured.
Though he escaped capture, Tommy’s boat was attacked and sunk by Japanese planes. He survived by swimming from island to island, often with no food and only coconut water to drink, always staying just ahead of his pursuers. He was eventually rescued by the steamer HMS Kedah and is recorded as joining her crew on 19 February 1942. Even that vessel came under attack and had to be towed part of the way to Columbo, Sri Lanka.
By the time they reached shore, Tommy had contracted malaria, which developed into thyrotoxicosis. Unfit for further service, he was discharged on 8 November 1942 and awarded a war pension, which he received until 1958. He retired with the rank of Able Seaman and received the 1939–1945 Star, the Pacific Star and the WWII Victory Medal.
Upon returning to Northern Ireland, Tommy moved with his family to a cottage at The Ballagh, outside Newcastle. There, he started a travelling grocery business while Mary managed a small shop from the front room of their home. They later relocated to Main Street in Annalong, where Tommy opened a grocer’s shop that expanded to become one of the first Spar supermarkets in Northern Ireland during the 1960s.
The business was eventually passed down to daughters Sadie and Jean, while Tommy and Mary enjoyed retirement and developed a love of cruising—particularly a memorable trip back to the Far East aboard the SS Canberra, named after the warship that had been part of his wartime story.
Tommy also remained active in his local community. He was a member of Brunswick LOL 1702, where he served as Worshipful Master, and helped form the Brunswick Accordion Band, with daughters Sadie and Jean among its founding members.
Tommy’s legacy is one that spans generations. As Neil noted, “It’s worth remembering that if my grandfather hadn’t evaded capture by the Japanese, then two daughters, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren wouldn’t exist. His survival didn’t just impact the war—it shaped our family’s future.”
Neil describes his late grandfather as “a faithful member of Annalong Presbyterian Church” and believes that Tommy’s strong faith was a source of strength during his time overseas. Although only a teenager when his grandfather passed away, Neil says he developed a deep appreciation for the courage and commitment Tommy—and countless others—demonstrated in their efforts to bring peace during a time of unimaginable global conflict.
In more recent years, family members revealed that Neil was among the first relatives Tommy truly opened up to about his wartime experiences. He shared stories not only of the physical dangers he faced at sea, but also the emotional and psychological after-effects that lingered long after he returned home.
Beyond his military service, Tommy was deeply involved in community life. He was an avid and accomplished bowler, captaining both the Newcastle Outdoor Bowling Club and the Annalong Presbyterian Indoor Bowling Club. He also remained active in veterans’ affairs, regularly taking part in Royal British Legion events.
In 1995, Tommy was honoured by Newry and Mourne District Council as part of the 50th anniversary commemorations for VJ Day. He was one of a number of World War Two veterans who received a special plaque from then Council Chairman Isaac Hanna, recognising their service.
“Through his many interests, Tommy had a wide circle of friends,” Neil recalled. “None more so than fellow World War Two veteran and lodge member, the late Cecil Newell, who served as a paratrooper.”
Neil said it felt fitting to share his grandfather’s story as the 80th anniversary of VJ Day is marked—both to honour Tommy’s bravery and to pay tribute to all who served, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
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