RAF Thomas W. Horton

[Tony Kambic]

Does anyone have any info on a Grp. Cm.?? Thomas W. Horton, RAF Mosquito Pilot in the 8th Pathfinder Group? Apparently 81 Mosquito missions, and some earlier ones in the A-20 Boston.

Thanks

Tony

[russg10]

Hi Tony,

Could this be W/Cdr. T. W. Horton DFC who flew with 105 Squadron in 1945? I believe he could have been Australian.

HTH

Russ

[dp_burke]

Have you found his entries in the London Gazette and the Flight Global magazine archives?

Thomas Welch HORTON, D.S.O., D.F.C. (59071).

YOu'll need to search for the serial number during the war years period

He seems to have won his DFC while in the RNZAF

1942

Acting Flight Lieutenant Thomas Welch HORTON (N.Z.39920), Royal New Zealand Air Force, - No. 88 Squadron.

1945
DSO

ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE.

Distinguished Service Order.
Acting Wing Commander.

Thomas Welch HORTON, D.F.C. (N.Z.39920), 105 Sqn.

There are no citations in the London Gazette but the Flight Global Magazines have some more details.

You need to search these further yourself.
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/index.html

Act. Fit. Lt. T. W. HORTON. R.N.Z.A.F.. No. 88 Sqn.—Fit. Lt. Horton has successfully completed a number of shipping patrols, also other operations, including the brilliant low-level-attack against shipping in Rotterdam on the 28th August, 1941. Throughout, this excellent captain hi* displayed courage, resource and skill high abtflsW'.he average. His aircraft has been repeajeor* hit and damaged by anti-aircraft fire, and. on no fewer than three occasions, he has brottght his aircraft safely back to base after having had one engine rendered useless by enemy action.
The charactor recognition is poor on the page, you'll need to seek it out yourself and transcribe it.

Sqn Ldr. T. W. HORTON, D.F.C., R.N.Z.A.F.,
No 105 Sqn.-Sinre his previous award Sqn. Lor. Horton baa completed many successful sorties during which he has attacked a wide range of argeW He has on all occasions shown great courage and determination and has done much valuable work.

[dp_burke]

And a photo on this page,
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchi...0-%202217.html

[Tony Kambic]

Wow. This is wonderful. Thanks for the info.

The great news is that I chatted with him yesterday for a while when he visited the NASM Udvar-Hazy Museum. That is definitely him as he still looks like himself from that picture in the archive posting. He lives near Washington, D.C. now. He looks great and loved talking about his RAF experiences. He was interested in whether we had a Mossie on display, but of course the NASM's aircraft is still at Garber in pieces and probably some years away from going on display.

The Garber facility is basically shut down. Last weekend all of the restoration tool shops were brought over from Garber to the new facility at the Udva-Hazy Museum. The restoration area is viewable via (plexi)-glass walls and we expect that a number of un-restored aircraft will be placed around the perimeter so at least they can be viewed while other restorations are going on.

Wing Commander Horton relayed that he still has his logbook. He said he had one encounter with an FW-190 which shot out one of the engines of the A-20 he was flying at that time. He also reported that on one of his Mosquito missions an aircraft whizzed by in the opposite direction at a very high speed. He said they could not readily identify it until a few months later when they learned it had been an Uhu He-219.

Tony

[dp_burke]

When will you see him again? Do you think would he allow you to photograph his log book and maybe donate the images to perhaps this website http://www.raflogs.co.uk/index.html

or the mesuem website. I don't mean donate his log book. Just digital images of the pages.

[Tony Kambic]

Dennis, sent you a PM.

Tony

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

HORTON, Wing Commander Thomas Welch, DSO, DFC*, (pff).
NZ39920, Born Masterton, 29 Dec 1919; RNZAF 26 Oct 1939 to 10 April 1947; Pilot.
Later Wg Cdr T W Horton, DSO, DFC*, RAF 1 Jan 1948 to 29 Dec 1966, 59071.

Citation Distinguished Flying Cross (5 Aug 1942): [88 Sqn RAF (Blenheim/Boston)]
Throughout his operational tour, this officer has displayed courage, resource and high skill. He has participated in a large number of sorties, including low level attacks on shipping. His aircraft has been repeatedly hit and damaged by enemy fire and, on 3 occasions, he has flown his aircraft safely back to this country after having had one engine rendered useless by enemy action.

Citation Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross (10 Aug 1944): [105(PFF)Sqn RAF (Mosquito)].
Since his previous award Squadron Leader Horton has completed many successful sorties during which he has attacked a wide range of targets. He has on all occasions shown great courage and determination and has done much valuable work.

Citation Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (18 Sep 1945): [105(PFF)Sqn RAF (Mosquito).
Since the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross Wing Commander Horton has completed a large number of operational sorties. At all times he has shown great skill as a pilot and, more recently, sound judgement and fine leadership as a flight commander. This officer has always shown great courage and determination in pressing home his attacks, and has obtained some excellent results.

By Apr 1945 Wg Cdr Horton had completed four tours of 111 sorties, 84 of them with the Pathfinders.

See:
By Such Deeds:Honours and Awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force 1923-1999.
Hanson,C.M Group Captain,OBE, RNZAF (Rtd.)
Christchurch:Volplane Press,2001.
pp.259-60.

Col.