Sergeant Donald Thomas Thomson

Donald Thomas Thomson was born in Ballarat on the 6 September 1921 to parents Francis Conrad and Hepzibah Maud Thomson. Donald Thomson enlisted in the RAAF on the 27 April 1941 in Melbourne, Victoria [ service no. 408601].

He trained as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner at No. 1 Wireless Air Gunner School Ballarat commencing on the 29 May 1941, Course 14. Forty-two of the one hundred trainees from Course 14 were killed.

After graduating on the 15 December 1941 Donald proceeded to No. 1 Bombing Air Gunners School Evans Head NSW.

Donald Thomson was posted to RAAF No. 13 Squadron.

Equipped with Lockheed Hudson light bomber aircraft No. 13 Squadron deployed two flights of Hudson’s (a total of six aircraft) to Ambon, where they were based at Laha Airfield in the NEI. Flying in the face of heavy resistance, and lacking fighter support, the squadron's aircraft conducted operations throughout the eastern islands of the NEI, during which several aircraft were lost.

As a result of the squadron's heavy losses during the defence of the NEI and the raids on Darwin, No. 13 Squadron generally only had one or two aircraft operational on most days in early 1942. Nevertheless, the squadron continued to fly operational attack and reconnaissance missions over the NEI. No. 13 Squadron was later awarded the United States Presidential Unit Citation for its operations over Timor during August and September 1942; it is one of only two RAAF squadrons to have received this honour, the other unit being No. 2 Squadron for its performance in the Vietnam War.

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On the 14 April 1942 Lockheed Hudson aircraft A16-137 failed to return from an operation to Koepang East Timor. All crew were killed:

The crew members were:

• Pilot Officer Albert James Verdun Lockley (411154) (Second Pilot)
• Sergeant Kenneth Arthur Orchard (408663) (Wireless Air Gunner)1WAGS Course 15
• Flying Officer Patrick Goulston Taylor (401158) (Pilot)
• Sergeant Donald Thomas Thomson (408601) (Wireless Air Gunner) 1 WAGS Course 14

 

Sergeant Donald Thomson’s body was not recovered.
He is Remembered: Panel 10, Northern Territory Memorial, Adelaide River NT.
Remembered: Panel 100, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT.
Sergeant Thomson was 20 years old.

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