Mervyn Somerset Thomas DSO, RN
| Birth details unknown |
| Ranks
Retired: 20 Aug 1947 Decorations
|
Warship Commands listed for Mervyn Somerset Thomas, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Grafton (H 89) | Cdr. | Destroyer | 19 Feb 1938 | 18 Jan 1940 |
| HMS Dainty (H 53) | Cdr. | Destroyer | 6 Feb 1940 | 24 Feb 1941 |
| HMS Auckland (L 61 / U 61) | Cdr. | Sloop | May 1941 | 24 Jun 1941 |
| HMS Faulknor (H 62) | Capt. | Destroyer | 28 Sep 1943 | 24 Feb 1944 |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
Destroyer HMS Grafton (H 89)
29 Oct 1939
HMS Grafton (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN) picks up 70 survivors from the British merchant Malabar that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-34 about 180 miles west of Lands End in position 49º57'N, 07º37'W.
Destroyer HMS Dainty (H 53)
27 Jun 1940
The Italian submarine Console Generale Liuzzi was scuttled south-east off Crete in position 33º36'N, 27º27'E after being depth charged by the British destroyers HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN) and the Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Morrow, RAN).
29 Jun 1940
On 29 June 1940 around 0615hours the Italian submarine Argonauta (offsite link) was probably sunk near Cape Ras el Hilal, Libya in position 35º16'N, 20º20'E by the British destroyers HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN) and the Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Morrow, RAN).
It is also possible the Argonauta was depth charged and sunk around 1450hours that same day by Sunderland L5804 (R.A.F.) in position 37º29'N, 19º51'E.
29 Jun 1940
The Italian submarine Uebi Scebeli was sunk south-west off Crete by the British destroyers
HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN) and HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN).
8 Oct 1940
Operation MB-6;
A British convoy with the merchants Memnon (7506 GRT), Lanarkshire (11275 GRT), Clan Macauley (10492 GRT) and Clan Ferguson (7347 GRT) left Alexandria for Malta on 8 October 1940. This convoy was escorted by the British Anti-Aircraft cruisers HMS Calcutta (Capt. D.M. Lees, DSO, RN), HMS Coventry (Capt. D. Gilmour, RN) and the Australian destroyers HMS Stuart (Capt. H.M.L. Waller, DSO, RAN), HMS Voyager (Cdr. J.C. Morrow, DSO, RAN), HMS Waterhen (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, RAN) and the British destroyer HMS Wryneck (Cdr. R.H.D. Lane, RN).
Cover was provided by the Mediterranean Fleet (Admiral Cunningham) with the British battleships HMS Warspite (Capt. D.B. Fisher, CBE, RN), HMS Valiant (Capt. H.B. Rawlings, OBE, RN), HMS Malaya (Capt. A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN), HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN), the British aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious (Capt. D.W. Boyd, DSC, RN), HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN), the British heavy cruiser HMS York (Capt. R.H. Portal, DSC, RN), the British light cruisers HMS Gloucester (Capt. H.A. Rowley, RN), HMS Liverpool (Capt. P.A. Read, RN), HMS Ajax (Capt. E.D. McCarthy, RN), HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, CB, RAN)escorted by the British destroyers HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Havock (Cdr. R.E. Courage, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, DSO, RN), HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN), HMS Hasty, (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.deW. Kitcat, RN), HMS Jervis (Capt. P.J. Mack, DSO, RN), HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN), HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, DSO, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, DSO, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN) and the Australian destroyers HMAS Vampire (Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN) and HMAS Vendetta (Cdr. R. Rhoades RAN).
The convoy was not spotted and arrived safe at Malta on 11 October. The only damage sustaned was to the destroyer HMS Imperial that was mined off Malta and was out of action for over 6 months.
While on the return trip the Mediterranean Fleet was sighted by an Italian aircraft. The Italian Navy tried to intercept them in the Ionian Sea. In the night of 11/12 October the first Italian torpedo boat flottilla with Airone, Alcione and Ariel attacked HMS Ajax. The attack failed and Ajax sank Airone and Ariel, Alcione escaped. A little while later the Italian 11th destroyer flottilla, with Artigliere, Aviere, Camicia Nera and Geniere arrived at the scene. They were suprised by the radar-directed gunfire from HMS Ajax. Artigliere was heavily damaged and Aviere was lightly damaged. Camicia Nere tried to tow Artigliere away but she was sighted by a British Sunderland aircraft that homed in 3 Swordfish aircraft from HMS Illustrious. However, the torpedoes they fired didn't hit the Italian ships. Later the Britsh heavy cruiser HMS York arrived at the scene. Camicia Nera quickly slipped the towing line and sped off. After her crew had left the ship Artiglire was sunk by York.
While the Mediterranean Fleet was still on the return trip aircraft from HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle attacked Leros and in the evening of the 14th the British light cruiser HMS Liverpool while south-east off Crete was hit in the bow by a torpedo from an Italian aircraft. The cruiser was heavily damaged and was repaired at the Mare Island Navy Yard in the USA. HMS Liverpool was not operational again until January 1942.
Sloop HMS Auckland (L 61 / U 61)
24 Jun 1941
Loss of Auckland. Mr Francesco Mattesini has kindly provided us with a detailed account of the circumstances of Auckland's sinking, based on research of original archival documents as follows:
Sloop HMS Auckland (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, DSO, RN) sailed from Alexandria with the Australian sloop HMAS Parramatta (Lt.Cdr J.H. Walker, RAN) escorting the oiler Pass of Balmaha, heading Tobruk with 750 ts of avgas. At 1736 hrs of 24 June, when about 20 nautical miles east of Tobruk, the convoy was attacked by several single level bombers (Italain S.79s of the 5th Air Fleet) and later, and more heavily, by 2 formations of Italo-German planes: the first consisted of 2 Ju-88 of III/LG.1 and 24 Ju-87 of II/St.G.2, led by the well-known Major Walter Ennecerus; the second group was mixed with 8 Ju.87 of I/St.G.1 and 5 Italian Ju-87 of the 239th Dive-bombing Sqn (Capt. Guseppe Cenni). The first wave of German planes, diving from the sun, concentrated on Auckland, mistaken for a light cruiser, while the Italian planes attacked the oiler. Auckland sustained an immediate hit on the stern, lost steering and kept way for a while at 10 kn, until 3 more bombs from the planes of II/St.G.2 hit her, causing her to go dead in the water with a 30° list. Completely wrecked and badly on fire, Auckland capsized and sank after an explosion.
Pass of Balmaha was damaged by near-misses but reached Tobruk escorted by newly arrived DD Waterhen, while Parramatta rescued Auckland's 162 survivors while still under attack and reache Marsa Matruh.
Destroyer HMS Faulknor (H 62)
7 Oct 1943
The Britsh light cruisers HMS Penelope (Capt. G.D. Belben, DSC, RN) and HMS Sirius (Capt. P.B.W. Brooking, DSO, RN) and the British destroyers HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.K. Scott-Moncrieff, DSO, RN) and HMS Fury (Lt.Cdr. T.F. Taylor, RN), north of Astipalea (Stampalia) in the Dodecanese, attacked a German convoy consisting of the auxiliary submarine chaser UJ 2111 (667 tons, former Italian Tramaglio), cargo Olympus (5216 GRT) and 7 MFPs, sinking all but one MFP.
On the return leg of the mission, the British were repeatedly attacked by German planes while transiting Karpathos Strait (Scarpanto).