Thomas Gray (VC)

Thomas Gray was born on 17 May 1914 in Urchfont, in England. He went to Warminster Secondary School and in August 1929 joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an apprentice airman. Four of his brothers would also serve in the RAF. He trained as a mechanic at Halton, graduating three years later as an aero engine fitter. He was then posted to No. 40 Squadron; this was equipped with Fairey Gordon bombers. Seeking to supplement his mechanic's duties, Gray volunteered for flying duties on the squadron's Gordons as an air gunner. He found that he preferred this to his normal duties and undertook formal training in this role. In due course, he earned the air gunner's sleeve badge. By June 1933 he held the rank of leading aircraftman and was posted to No. 15 Squadron. He subsequently returned to Halton to update his aero engine fitting skills, proceeding onto Henlow for the final stages of his training. He was sent to No. 58 Squadron and then, in February 1938, was sent to No. 12 Squadron, which operated the Fairey Battle light bomber. Promoted to corporal shortly after his arrival at the squadron, Gray attended No. 1 Air Observers School later in 1938. He duly qualified as a navigator and became part of the squadron's flying personnel. He maintained his skills in gunnery, winning a prize in the RAF's annual air firing contest of 1938. The following year he was promoted to sergeant. ==Second World War==

On the outbreak of the Second World War, No. 12 Squadron was sent to France as part of the RAF's Advanced Air Striking Force. Based at Barry-au-Bac, it began making operational sorties from 17 September but saw little activity during the this period, known as the Phoney War. Its activities were largely curtailed over the winter months but in March 1940 it started making reconnaissance flights into Germany from its new airfield at Amifontaine. Battle of Belgium On 10 May 1940, the Germans invaded Belgium and the squadron flew its first bombing sortie the same day. Amifontaine was bombed the next day, preventing any operations being carried out for the day. The next day, 12 May, No. 12 Squadron was tasked with bombing two bridges over the Albert Canal in Belgium, those at Vroenhoven and at Veldwezelt. Six Battles, flying in two sections, one for each bridge, were dispatched at 9:00 am. They were to be escorted by several Hawker Hurricane fighters of No. 1 Squadron. Gray flew as the navigator to Flying Officer Donald Garland, leading the section allocated to attack the bridge at Veldwezelt, with LAC Lawrence Reynolds as the gunner. Garland intended to make a low level approach to his target. On nearing Veldwezelt, the Hurricane escorts were drawn off by Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters. As Garland's section approached Veldwezelt, it was met with extensive anti-aircraft fire. Garland released his bombs, which damaged the western end of the bridge. However, his Battle was shot down and its crew were killed. The other two Battles were destroyed without completing their bombing run. Garland and Gray's efforts during the 12 May bombing attack was recognised with a posthumous award of a Victoria Cross. However Reynolds's gallantry was not recognised. The joint citation, published in the London Gazette on 11 June 1940, read: The efforts of No. 12 Squadron's aircrew went to waste, since faulty intelligence meant the wrong bridges were attacked. The German advance was in a different direction, towards Meuse. The bodies of Gray, Garland and Reynolds were recovered by Belgian civilians and buried without the knowledge of the Germans. Once the area was back under Allied control in 1944–45, their remains were moved to the cemetery at Lanaken. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission then relocated the bodies of the aircrew to Heverlee War Cemetery near Leuven. ==Legacy==

A Vickers VC-10, with the serial 'XR807', of No. 101 Squadron was named 'Donald Garland VC & Thomas Gray VC'. In 2005, to mark its 90th anniversary, No. 12 Squadron flew a Tornado GR4 with the names of Garland and Gray painted under the cockpit as a mark of respect. ==Notes==