Thomas James Adkinson was born on 23 February 1919 in Gilmer, Texas. His father was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and was a rancher, his mother (who pre-deceased Thomas) was born in Gilmer. Thomas had two brothers Elton and Ben, a sister, Addie Lee, plus five more married sisters.

He attended Gilmer Public School in Texas from 1926-1934 (Entrance equivalent), and Gilmer High and Union Hill from 1934-1938 (Junior Matric equivalent). He also spent time at Vancouver Tech High School, B.C.

Thomas had served in the 9th Infantry, USA, between August 1936 and January 1937 and also in the R.C.O.C. training center in Kingston, Ontario 1941-1942. He enlisted on 29 April 1942 in Ottawa and after early training, was sent to the U.K., where he arrived on 4 June 1943.

Serving in the No. 57 RAF Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, he was Killed in Action on March 24, 1944, when his Avro Lancaster III # ND 671 was shot down by flak near Geseke, during a bombing operation in Berlin, Germany. He is now buried in the Hanover War Cemetery in Germany.

His name is commemorated on a commemorative panel located at the Bomber Command Museum in Nanton, Canada, but his surname is inscribed as Adkinson.

Source of information: losses.internationalbcc.co.uk