George Thomas

Very little is known about the details of George's journey but what we do know is that he was not as lucky as the other crew members....

After landing he headed south east towards the Pyrenees alone and he was finally assisted when he met with a group of civilians trying to escape from occupied France. It took him three months before he reached the Pyrenees and in December 1943 on his final descent with the Spanish border in sight he felt a tap on his shoulder which unfortunately was by a German Patrol. He was interned at Fresnes prison in Paris, before being transferred to Stalag IVB at Muhlberg, then on to Buchenwald concentration camp and finally Kulwitz. During his time at the hands of the Germans George was accused of being a spy and was subjected to brutal torture involving multiple drowning experiences, losing a lung and having all ribs cracked or broken (ED-04). He was liberated from Kulwitz on 17th April 1945.

Unsurprisingly there are very few accounts of the full extent of George's experience as he didn't speak of his ordeal following the war but with the limited information we have it highlights just how lucky the other members of the crew were in their journey back home.