John Terence Lewis Thomas – Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Aircraftman 2nd Class John Terence Lewis Thomas – Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Early Life and Family Background

John Terence Lewis Thomas was born in 1915 in Swansea, the son of John Thomas and Esther Ann Lewis, who had married in 1900, Swansea.

1921 Census

The 1921 Census records the Thomas family residing at 81 Rhondda Street, Swansea, where John Thomas, aged 43, worked as a Photographer on his own account, while his wife Esther Ann, aged 42, managed the household. Their children were David Elwyn, aged 19, also employed as a Photographer; William Desmond, aged 10; and John Terence Lewis, aged 6, both of whom were attending school.

1939 Register

Marriage and Residence in 1939

In 1939, John married Freda J. Taylor, and by the time of the 1939 Register, the couple were living at 20 Glanmor Road, Swansea. John is recorded as a Travelling Draper, while Freda undertook Unpaid Domestic Duties, reflecting the typical domestic and occupational roles of the period.

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Service

During the Second World War, John Terence Lewis Thomas served with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, ranked Aircraftman 2nd Class. His service placed him among the many young Swansea men who joined the RAFVR, contributing to Britain’s wartime air operations and training programmes.

John Thomas Lewis Thomas
Oystermouth Cemetery, Mumbles
credit - findagrave

Death and Burial

John tragically lost his life on 26 December 1941 at Aberporth, Cardigan, a site associated with military training and weapons testing during the war. He was buried at Oystermouth Cemetery, Swansea. His grave does not bear a military headstone, a poignant reminder of the many wartime casualties whose service is not marked by official military stonework.