Thomas served as a Corporal, 39th Fighter Squadron, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Calhoun County, Michigan prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 2, 1942 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Shipping and receiving clerk and also as Single, without dependents.

Thomas was promoted to the rank of Corporal on December 7, 1942.

He was a passenger on C-47 #41-18668, 21st Squadron, 374th Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Force.

C-47 #41-18668 took off from Port Moresby fully loaded with supplies and personnel of the 35th Fighter Control Squadron and 39th Fighter Squadron. While in the traffic pattern for Tsili Tsili Airfield, its second flight was intercepted by Ki-43 Oscars led by Shigeo Nango of the 59th Sentai. This C-47 was shot down south-west of Tsili Tsili and crashed with the loss of all aboard.

Thomas was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.

He was awarded the the Purple Heart.

He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on March 16, 1950.

Service # 16045592

The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldiers & sailors were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.

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Crew who perished on C-47 #41-18668:

Cathcart, Charles O ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, TX
Fetzer, William H ~ Corp, Radio Operator, PA
Hamilton, Darwin R ~ FO, Co-Pilot, CA
Slocki, Theodore ~ Sgt, Engineer, NJ

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Passengers who perished on C-47 #41-18668:

Kahler, Earl L ~ Corp, Passenger, WY
Lothschutz, Austin J ~ Pfc, Passenger, MI
Renkes, Thomas B ~ Corp, Passenger, MI
Rothstein, Sam ~ Pvt, Passenger, NJ
Ryan, Jeremiah J ~ Corp, Passenger, NE

C-47 "Liliane" #41-18682 was also lost on the same mission on the same day for the same reason.

( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

Special thanks to:
ShaneO for submitting this record for bio updates!

Thomas B Renkes