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Auction: 3016 - Orders, Medals, Decorations & Militaria
Lot: 614

A 192 Squadron D.F.C. Group of Six to 'Special Operator' Group Captain I. Thomas, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
Order of the British Empire, Military Division, Officer (O.B.E.) breast Badge, silver-gilt; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse dated 1945; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star with France and Germany Bar; Defence and War Medals, extremely fine, with group of six related miniature awards, both groups mounted court style as worn
with Pilot's Flying Log Book (December 1941-July 1942), Observer's and Air Gunner's Flying Log Book (August 1942-October 1948), and two Navigator's, Air Bomber's and Air Gunner's Flying Log Books (November 1948-October 1965), two Navigator's cloth wings, and a quantity of original documents and correspondence (6)


O.B.E. London Gazette 27.12.1960, Wing Commander Ieuan Thomas, D.F.C. (134556), Royal Air Force.

D.F.C. London Gazette 16.2.1945 Ieuan Thomas FL (134556) R.A.F.V.R., 192 Squadron
The Recommendation states 'This Officer has completed a tour of operations on heavy bomber aircraft as a Air Bomber and Special Operator.
He has taken part in both bombing and special missions and due to his outstanding efficiency much extremely valuable information has been obtained. He has at all times shown remarkable keeness not only to partake in operations but also to impart his knowledge to other members of this Squadron.'
Remarks by Station Commander:
'The work of a special operator in this Squadron is extremely difficult and calls for an exceptionally high degree of skill and efficiency. Thomas has given a very good account of himself on operations and by his untiring sfforts has obtained much valuable information about the enemy.'
Remarks by Air Officer Commanding:
'The exceptionally high degree of skill and efficiency of this Special Operator has done much to help his Squadron obtain valuable results from their special investigational work. He has been untiring in his efforts.'
Group Captain Iuean 'Tommy' Thomas, O.B.E., D.F.C. (1921-2000), Commissioned 1942; flew with 620, 214 and 192 Squadrons; operations listed in the very detailed Log Books include; 15.9.43 Montlucon, Dunlop rubber factory; 16.9.43 Modane, Marshalling yards, station and railroad tunnels through Alps; 22.9.43 Hanover, combat with intruder on return; 18.11.43 Mannheim-Ludwigshaven, F.W.190 destroyed by Sgt. Read; 19.11.43 Leverkusen D.N.C.O. rear turret U.S., ME110 destroyed F/S Gilpin; 7.5.44 Nantes (Airfield), what a dirty great moon-ugh!; 12.8.44 Brunswick shot up by flack over Bremen and Wilelmshaven, port outer u/s; 18.12.44 Gydinia (Poland), landed with F.I.D.O.; 25.4.45 Berchtesgaden, A.Hitler's house and S.S. guard huts; Group Captain 1969; retired 1976

Murray Peden, author of 'A Thousand Shall Fall', remembers 'Tommy' Thomas in a letter to his brother dated 20.12.2000 .
'I appreciate your courtesy all the more because 'Tommy' (as we all called him) was, and will remain, an outstanding figure in my mental picture of our 214 Squadron aircrew. I shall always remember him as the most cheerful flyer of the squadron, and cheerful at times-- with most of us-- that did not make for an abundance of that characteristic.
I mentioned in my book, A Thousand Shall Fall, that Jake Walter's crew (with Tommy as Bombaimer) had had a string of 'near-miss' trips, several of which were of the most frightening character imaginable. Outwardly these fazed tommy not at all, although inwardly the strain had to have been intense. His great sense of humour never deserted him, and when Jake and Tommy and I got together in the mess on nights when we weren't flying, we chaffed each other with great spirit.'
A copy of 'A Thousand Shall Fall' is included with the lot.



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