ENGLISH, Thomas Henry


No.524025, Sergeant (W/Op/Air Gnr), Thomas Henry ENGLISH
Aged 26


9 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Killed in Action on 18th December 1939


"Per noctem volamus" - Throughout the night we fly


Added to the memorial in 2016:-
Thomas Henry ENGLISH was born at 13 Rayleigh Grove, Gateshead on 7th December 1917 (Gateshead Q1-1918 10A:1509), son of Thomas Henry and Florence Emma ENGLISH (née MOORE). His father was Deputy Overman at a colliery, after having been gassed while a 2nd Lieut in the 12th West Yorkshire Regiment in the Great War. He had a brother, Ralph [1913], and two sisters, Jessie [1915] and Jean [1921].

Probably the lack of jobs and poverty made Tom choose a career in the RAF, joining as a Wireless Operator. In the spring of 1939, a few months before the outbreak of war, he was stationed with No 9 Squadron at RAF Stradishall as a wireless operator.
It was usual for the airmen at Stradishall to be bussed into Haverhill on a Saturday evening and it was on the last Saturday in March 1939 that Tom went to a dance held at Haverhill Town Hall. It was there that he met a twenty four year old Haverhill schoolteacher, Doris Ellen Bigmore. (Doris is pictured below). From May to July 1939 Tom was posted to an RAF station at Hamble Water near Southampton to complete a navigation training course. Doris’s brother, John, lived in London so she visited him on alternate weekends and would meet Tom under the clock in Charing Cross Station.
Political unrest and fear of war continued in Europe and at the end of his course in late July, just a few hours after arriving for a short break with his family in Northumberland, Tom received a telegram which read “Leave cancelled, return to your squadron immediately.” He had been expecting Doris to join him so he could introduce her to his family but this was not to be.
He married Doris Ellen BIGMORE (Bury St Edmunds Q4-1939).


In the 1939 register, at 13 Rayleigh Grove, Gateshead, were his father Thomas [9-12-1889] deputy overman at colliery and his mother Florence [5-9-1889] (1 closed record), and at 9 The Pightle, Haverhill were Doris Ellen BIGMORE [28-4-1914] council school teacher, with her parents Samuel A BIGMORE (an income tax repayment agent); her mother Ruth and brother Frederick A [21-9-1920] dispatch foreman in clothing factory.



After joining the RAF as a Wireless Operator, early in 1939 he was posted to 9 Squadron at RAF Stradishall.

In February 1939, No.9 Squadron moved to Honington and received Vickers Wellingtons, and was involved in anti-shipping sorties. Their losses on these missions increased until the decision was made to convert to night time operations, too late for Thomas though. The day of their wedding he was on standby so had to return to base, leaving his wife alone at Everard's Hotel in Bury St.Edmnunds. Knowing he would be entitled to some leave over Christmas they planned their honeymoon for then.They planned for a honeymoon over Christmas but sadly his last mission put paid to that.

He died on the same mission (different aircraft) as Reginald BLACK see here and Josh Turnbull, his best man.
His brother in law, Lt.John BIGMORE, of the Cambridgeshire Regiment, was killed in Singapore on 15th February 1942, see here



The following details are from Aircrew Remembered www.aircrewremembered.com

He was a wireless operator/air gunner on Vickers Wellington Mk 1a, ser.no. N2939 (call sign WS-H) which took off from RAF Honington at 08:55 on a reconnaissance mission to Wilhelmshaven, and to attack any German battleships or cruisers they found in there. They had however been tracked by German Freya early warning and about 40 German fighters intercepted them. As a result of flak or enemy fighter, they crashed into the sea. 9 Squadron lost four of their nine aircraft on this mission.

The crew (all lost) were:-
Pilot - F/O John CHALLES; 2nd pilot - P/O Alistair BOURNE; Observer - Sgt Frank MASON; W/Op/Air Gnr - Sgt Thomas ENGLISH; Air Gunner - LAC Gurth COX; Air Gunner - AC1 Alexander TELFER.

In 2016 the Haverhill branch of the Royal British Legion prevailed upon the CWGC to add Thomas' name to those on the war memorial in Haverhill Cemetery.

Reginald Black, like Tom, had met his wife at one of the dances held in Haverhill Town Hall. Reginald’s wife who was also called Doris (née Freeman), was a friend and next-door neighbour of Doris English née Bigmore. One cannot imagine the grief felt in numbers 8 and 9 The Pightle that Christmas.
The Bigmore family were to suffer more tragedy when John Bigmore (brother of Doris), a 2nd Lt with the Cambridgeshire Regiment was killed by a sniper in Singapore on 15th February, 1942.
Doris never remarried. Her book ‘A Shining Fragment’ is a touching memory of her albeit brief time with Tom. Included are some poems written by Tom.


Pre war 9 Squadron Wellingtons, they changed to call sign WS at the start of the war




photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



Thomas English is commemorated on the Runnymede memorial, panel 1

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


BACK to Haverhill home page