Mallon, Thomas

Thomas Alexander Mallon was the son of Alexander and Dora Mallon of Bell Block, Taranaki. He was born on 25 November 1914.

He was educated at New Plymouth Boy’s High School and then entered the grocery trade. By the time he enlisted in the RNZAF in 1941 he was managing his own store in Moturoa.

Thomas' younger brother, John, was a Pilot Officer with the RAF, and died on 11 October 1940 after bring shot down while on active duty.

Thomas first received his training as an pilot in New Zealand before being sent to Canada in December 1941 for further training. He was then sent to England in May 1943 and  after postings with several different units was finally posted to 488 (NZ) Squadron. After the D Day landings in France in 1944 his squadron was attached to the British Army of Liberation in France and Belgium.

Thomas died on 12 March 1945 after his aircraft crashed just after take off from a base at Gilze-Rijen, Netherlands, killing both Thomas and his single crew member (Navigator G.H Brock of Palmerston North). He was buried in Bergen-op-Zoom Cemetery, Holland.

Thomas and Jack's younger brother William Mallon also served during with war with the RNAF as a Flight Sergeant with 75 Squadron. He survived the war and died in 29 June 2010. Some of William's war experiences and that of the crew of the Lancaster bomber that he piloted, are described in the book, The Mallon Crew by Vic Jay (published 2016).

Books

Lest We Forget, Jack West p.236

For Your Tomorrow, Errol W. Martyn Vol 2, p.329

The Mallon Crew, Vic Jay

Related Documents

RNZAF Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939-1945, Thomas Mallon, Archives NZ (R17845613-0034)

Brothers discovered the heroics of the their World War Two fighter pilot father in a new book, Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 2017.