Lt DH Thomas
Named in the book
- Rank
- Lt
- Squadron
- No 602 Squadron
- 1943 voyage
-
Sailed from Cape Town on the Rangitata in September 1943, and signed the group photograph taken in Montevideo on the way.
The story of the photograph
From the book
SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons
Lt’s DH Thomas and Errol Begbie, two other signatures on the photograph mounting, were involved in “friendly fire” incidents. Begbie a No 102 Squadron Halifax pilot lost his life during a Dusseldorf raid in early November 1944 after his aircraft was hit by friendly fire and then shot down by a JU88. Thomas, attacked by a USAAF P51 Mustang and forced to bale out of his No 602 Spitfire was a fortunate survivor. Volume 3 of Norman LR Franks “Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War” identifies that at least 12 pilots were killed by friendly fire between “D-Day” and the end of the war, USAAF pilots shot down at least 15 RAF fighters and collisions caused several casualties.