Thurston, Edward Gray
Killed in Action 1944-05-20
Birth Date: 1918
Born:
Son of Basil G and Mary F Thurston
Home: St Thomas, Ontario
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: Unknown
Service
RCAF
Unit
5 (F) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Frangas Non Flectas Thou mayest break but shall not bend me
Base
Lanka, Assam, INdia
Rank
Flight Lieutenant
Position
Flight Lieutenant
Service Numbers
J/4920
Home
St Thomas, Ontario
First Burial
Singapore Memorial Singapore
5 Squadron RAF (Frangas Non Flectas) Lanka. Hurricane II aircraft ??683 failed to return from operations, believed shot down by Japanese fighter
Flight Lieutenant EG Thurston (RCAF) was missing, presumed killed in course of a Rhubarb operation from Lanka airfield (approximate location ) over Pinlebu, Burma (now Myanmar) (approximate location )
Flight Lieutenant Thurston has no known grave and is commemorated on the Singapore War Memorial
Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph Willie Yvon Bibeau was lost on the same sortie.
Canadian Virtual War Memorial5 (F) Sqn Frangas Non Flectas ( x)
History of the Squadron during WWII (Aircraft: Audax, Mohawk IV, Hurricane IIc, IId, Thunderbolt I & II)
The Maple leaf in the badge reflects the squadron's close association with the Canadian Corps during WWI.
At the outbreak of war in September 1939, No. 5 Squadron were based in the North-West Frontier of India at Fort Sandeman (now Zhob, Pakistan), equipped with the Westland Wapiti biplane. The squadron became a light bomber unit when it converted to the Hawker Hart in June 1940. It became a fighter unit, equipped with obsolete Hawker Audaxes, in February 1941. In December 1941, the squadron relocated to RAF Dum Dum, Calcutta, and began to receive their first monoplane – the American-built Curtiss Mohawk Mk.IV. After the outbreak of hostilities with Japan, the squadron moved to RAF Dinjan, Assam, in May 1942, and was tasked with escorting Bristol Blenheim bombers over north west Burma (now Myanmar). Its first operational fighter sortie was flown in July 1942. In January 1943, the squadron began flying RHUBARB operations, on targets on the Imphal and Chindwin rivers, and these became an important part of the squadron’s activities. In June 1943 while the squadron was based at RAF Kharagpur, the Mohawks were replaced by Hawker Hurricane Mk.IId’s for ground attack missions, although they did not use them on vehicles until the following January. Later the squadron converted to Hurricane IIc’s and returned to more normal bomber escort and interdiction duties. In June of 1944, the squadron re-equipped with North American Thunderbolts, returning to operations in December. Duties were a mixture of escorts to Dakotas dropping supplies, RHUBARBS and dive bombing with wing-mounted 500 lb (227 kg) bombs. The last operations were bombing in support of the invasion of Rangoon. At the end of the hostilities, the squadron returned to India where it converted to Tempests and was disbanded in August 1947.
Maps for Movements of No. 5 Squadron 1941-45
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