Robert Van Horn Thomas

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

Robert Van Horn Thomas served as a co-pilot with the 83rd Squadron, 437th Troop Carrier Group.

On 17 September 1944, Thomas was flying C-47 42-100801 as it towed a glider during Operation Market Garden enroute to Eindhoven. Near Bladel, Holland the number 2 engine was hit by flak. The glider was released and the C-47 crashed out of control killing all four of its crew members.

Connections

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Units served with

437th Troop Carrier Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Type Category: Troop Carrier

83rd Troop Carrier Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Type Category: Troop Carrier

Aircraft

42-100801

Aircraft Type: C-47 Skytrain
Nicknames: Picadilly Filly
Unit: 437th Troop Carrier Group 83rd Troop Carrier Squadron

Places

Ramsbury

Site type: Airfield

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born		6 September 1916	Born in Maryland, United States
Died	Neterselseweg, Bladel Municipality, Netherlands	17 September 1944
Buried	Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky	22 December 1948	On December 22, 1948, three crewmembers were buried with two crew from C47 42-108884 (1LT Edward J Petersen, Jr and James B Rice) at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Section E, Lots 13-14.
	Tall Timbers, MD 20690, USA		Address given in MACR 9903 for his mother Mrs Lydia M Thomas
Other Cenotaph	2500 E North Avenue, Baltimore, MD		In addition to his actual burial in Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, LT Thomas has a cenotaph in Section D in Baltimore Cemetery, Baltimore, MD.