Signalman. Thomas Vaughan. ‘K’ Section, 1st Airborne Divisional Signals.

Thomas Vaughan was born on the 21 January 1922, in Machynlleth, Wales, and before enlisting he worked as a Cinema Operator. [1]

He originally enlisted into The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry on the 15 August 1939. [1]

Thomas was serving with in the Middle East when he volunteered for Airborne Forces and did Parachute Course 44 at Ramat David, 26 May to 8 June 1943. He completed the 8 descents to qualify as an Army Parachutist and was posted to the 11th Parachute Battalion. [2]

Note: There is a possibility he lied about his age to enlist, as his Parachute Course Report states he was 19 when he completed it, which would mean he was born in 1924.

By 1944 he had transferred to The Royal Corps of Signals and was posted to ‘K’ Section, 1st Airborne Divisional Signals, which was attached to the 4th Parachute Brigade. At this time they were billeted at Knossington Grange in Leicestershire. He was assigned as a Despatch Rider (Don R).

In or about April 1944 he married Betty Frances Achurch at Billeston, Leicestershire.

Note: On his POW questionnaire he lists his home address as St. Thomas Road, Great Glen, Nr Leicester.

On Monday, 18 September 1944, he took off in a Horsa glider (C/N: 952) from RAF. Keevil bound for LZ ‘X’ as part of the 2nd Lift of Operation ‘Market-Garden’. The Horsa was piloted by S/Sgt. R.E. White and Sgt. F.C. Eason of 22 Flight, ‘D’ Squadron, The Glider Pilot Regiment and carried a Jeep, trailer and 2 x Heavy Motor-cycles, plus Thomas Vaughan, Sigmn. W.J. Douce and another unknown man as the Jeep driver.

The glider crashed upon landing on the LZ, near Renkum in Holland, and overturned, the 1st Pilot, S/Sgt. White dying of his injuries.

It is not known exactly when Sigmn. Vaughan was taken prisoner.

He was initially sent to Stalag 12A at Limburg in Germany, where he was assigned the POW No. 90845. This was a transit POW Camp, so he was only there from the 29 September to the 15 October, before being moved. He was then sent to Stalag 8C at Sagan in Poland, where he remained from the 16 – 29 October. He was then sent to Stalag 8A at Gorlitz in Lower Silesia, Germany, arriving there on the 1 November. He was then sent to a Work Camp at Koningwalde, where he worked in a stone quarry from 21 January to February 1945. Then on the 18 March he was sent to Stalag 4C at Teplitz, where he worked in a Benzine factory at Brux, until he was liberated there by American Forces on the 6 May 1945. [1]

On his POW questionnaire he was asked if he made any escape attempts: ‘Yes. Made escape end of Feb in Protectorate, Czechoslovakia. Recaptured end of April by SS. Troops. I was fit. No companion’.

Thomas Vaughan died in Leicester in January 1985.

NOTES:

[1] POW questionnaire. 20 May 1945.

[2] Parachute Course Report, Ramat David. June 1943.

Written and researched by Robert Hilton