Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Flight Lieutenant G. W. C. Thomas, Royal Air Force, a Beaufighter pilot with three confirmed victories and one damaged, he was shot down over Tunisia on 21 January 1943, and was captured and taken Prisoner of War, later attempting to escape from Stalag VIII B

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; War Medal 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R. (Flt. Lt. G. W. C. Thomas. R.A.F.) mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (5) £600-£800

George William Charman Thomas was born on 16 May 1918 and served during the Second World War as a night-fighter pilot with 46 (Uganda) Squadron and 227 Squadron in North Africa and Malta, following earlier service which qualified for the Air Crew Europe Star. As a Warrant Officer piloting Beaufighters he achieved three victories and one damaged:

27 July 1942 - flying 46 Squadron Beaufighter If X7628 with Sergeant O'Toole, claimed a He.111 at Gebel Gatrani, North Africa.

1 August 1942 - flying 46 Squadron Beaufighter If X7745 with Sergeant Jackson; claimed a Ju.88 over the Cairo area, North Africa.

17 December 1942 - flying 227 Squadron Beaufighter VIf 'M' with Pilot Officer N. J. Lewis; claimed a S.82 at approximately 150 miles from Delimara, and in the same action claimed a S.82 damaged (Note: Pilot Officer N. J. Lewis was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, London Gazette 29 December 1942, for earlier operational duties).

Thomas was himself shot down during an operation in Tunisia on the night of 20-21 January 1943, and was captured alongside his Navigator and made a Prisoner of War. Transported to Germany, he was initially held at Dulag Luft, Frankfurt, for ‘routine interrogation’, before arrival at Stalag VIll-B at Lamsdorf on 20 February 1943. His M.I.9 Questionnaire states: ‘Escapes attempted: “Changed places with Corporal Smith - ‘Queens’ - to go to working camp from Stalag VIll B May 1943 - recognised at Main Gate. Tunnelled from February to May 1944 - Tunnel discovered”.’

Thomas was liberated from Stalag X-C at Lubeck on 2 May 1945, and was commissioned Pilot Officer on 27 March 1946. He was advanced Flight Lieutenant on 20 August 1951, and served during the post-war Malayan Emergency (medal). He retired from the Royal Air Force on 14 May 1960, and died in 1993.

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