'Paul Thomas' - RAF

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by surfcoastwombat, Jan 28, 2009.

  1. surfcoastwombat

    surfcoastwombat Junior Member

    Paul - I am new to this messasge board so I hope I am following the right procedure.

    You mention that you have a list of all RAF losses for WW2.

    Is it possible for me to scrutinise that list. The reason I am asking is that I recently discovered that my father was in fact my step father and that my true father had been an Englishman who went to America for a while then came back in 1939 to join the RAF. There are two stories surrounding his death in 1940. One was that he didn't return from an air raid mission, the other that he was killed in a road accident. His name was Paul Thomas but I don't know if Thomas was his surname or his middle name. Complex isn't it!!!!

    any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

    Regards
    John
     
  2. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Hi John - and welcome to the forum. I have moved this to it's own thread so you get some more responses.

    The list I have is taken from Commonwealth War Graves Commission records. However there is a very useful search engine made by a member of this site:

    Geoff's 1939-47 Search Engine

    Using that I could not find any 'Paul Thomas' but I did find the following men who had Paul Thomas as Christian names:

    Name: DOBSON, PAUL THOMAS
    Initials: P T
    Nationality: United Kingdom
    Rank: Sapper
    Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers
    Unit Text: 591 Parachute Sqn.
    Age: 19
    Date of Death: 24/03/1945
    Service No: 14429264
    Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
    Grave/Memorial Reference: 40. B. 3.
    Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY

    Name: MERCER, PAUL THOMAS RICHARD
    Initials: P T R
    Nationality: United Kingdom
    Rank: Flying Officer
    Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
    Unit Text: 263 Sqdn.
    Date of Death: 24/10/1943
    Service No: 127883
    Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
    Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 126.
    Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

    Name: OLDHAM, PAUL THOMAS CYRIL
    Initials: P T C
    Nationality: United Kingdom
    Rank: Sergeant (Flt. Engr.)
    Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
    Unit Text: 149 Sqdn.
    Age: 19
    Date of Death: 14/02/1943
    Service No: 574359
    Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cyril Oldham, of Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.
    Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
    Grave/Memorial Reference: 8. I. 3.
    Cemetery: JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY

    As you can see, two of these are RAF. I have no way of telling if this is the man you are looking for, but hopefully it is a start!
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi John and welcome to the forum :)
     
  4. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Name: MERCER, PAUL THOMAS RICHARD
    Initials: P T R
    Nationality: United Kingdom
    Rank: Flying Officer
    Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
    Unit Text: 263 Sqdn.
    Date of Death: 24/10/1943
    Service No: 127883
    Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
    Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 126.
    Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

    !

    Hello John, welcome to the forum.

    Flying Officer Mercer was lost when his Whirlwind I P6979 was hit by flak during a 10 Group Roadstead operation.

    RAF Fighter Command Losses Vol.2 - Franks
     
  5. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Name: OLDHAM, PAUL THOMAS CYRIL
    Initials: P T C
    Nationality: United Kingdom
    Rank: Sergeant (Flt. Engr.)
    Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
    Unit Text: 149 Sqdn.
    Age: 19
    Date of Death: 14/02/1943
    Service No: 574359
    Additional information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cyril Oldham, of Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.
    Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
    Grave/Memorial Reference: 8. I. 3.
    Cemetery: JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY




    14 February 1943.

    149 Squadron.
    Stirling I W7638 OJ-R
    Op: Cologne

    Crew.
    F/S. J G. Gow RNZAF +
    Sgt. P T C. Oldham +
    F/S. C. Loughlin RNZAF pow
    Sgt. V W. Tulley RNZAF pow
    Sgt. G S S. Reynolds RNZAF pow
    Sgt. J C. Brigden +
    Sgt. W A. Summerson +

    Took off 1848 hrs Lakenheath. Shot down by night-fighter and crashed near Boxmeer (Noord Brabant) Holland. Sgt. Oldham was initially buried at Venlo, but his grave is now in Jonkerbos War Cemetery.

    Bomber Command Losses Vol. 4 - W R. Chorley
     
  6. surfcoastwombat

    surfcoastwombat Junior Member

    Thank you all for your help. Unfortunately none of the above fit the criteria. From what little information I have, it seems clear Paul Thomas or Paul Thomas (surname unknown) died in 1940. whether it was on active service or a road accident is not known. If a serving RAF person was killed in a road accident, I presume he wouldn't be listed in the CWGC records - would that be correct?

    Regards
    John
     
  7. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    No, all serving personnel are listed. If he died during WW2 in uniform he will be listed on CWGC.
     
  8. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    John,
    Welcome to the forum and I wish you luck in your search.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  9. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Hello John and welcome.
     
  10. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    Hello John and welcome to the Forum from Canada
     

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