Harry Floyd Thomas was born on August 22, 1918, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Floyd David Thomas and Ida Schwab Thomas. He graduated from Erie Technical High School in 1936.
On May 1, 1942, Harry enlisted in the Army Air Corps, entering the service at Erie, Pennsylvania. After basic training and aptitude evaluation, Harry was selected for Aviation Cadet pilot training at Waco Army Air Field, Texas, Class 43-H; however, it seems he washed out for unknown reasons. Harry was then assigned to flexible gunnery training elsewhere, graduating as an Aerial Gunner MOS 611.
After combat crew training Sgt Thomas was assigned to the Joseph Gualano crew serving with the 860th Squadron, 493rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, and deployed to England.
On November 2, 1944, the 493rd Bomb Group mission for the day was the Leuna synthetic oil refinery, at Merseburg, Germany. This was the 31st mission for S/Sgt Thomas here serving as a waist gunner with the Joe Gualano crew aboard B-17G #43-38316 'Hank's Bottle’.
As the plane turned onto the bomb run, it received severe damage from a flak burst resulting in S/Sgt Thomas being killed instantly from a shrapnel wound to his head. The plane experienced additional damage losing the #2 and #3 engines, and loss of all electrical power, the oxygen system to the rear of the aircraft, radio, and inter-communications systems, and rudder control. Sgt Butler (T/Sgt Raymond W Butler – Flight Engineer) managed to splice the rudder control cable during their return to friendly territory. By disposing of all guns and dropping the ball turret, Lt Gualano was able to return as far as St. Trond, Belgium, and land at Advanced Landing Ground A-92, which was recently liberated from the Nazis at that time.
SSgt Thomas was the only casualty in his crew. He is now buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Hombourg, Belgium.
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov