The Airmen's Stories - F/O T W Gillen

Thomas William Gillen was born in early 1914 in Belfast and joined the RAFO in May 1937.

He went for a course at 8 FTS Montrose on 21st August, after which he returned to the reserve.

Gillen must have anticipated being called up as he is recorded as serving in mid-1939 with 32 Squadron at Biggin Hill. On 2nd May, at the controls of Hurricane L1647, he unfortunately taxied into a tractor at Sutton Bridge. Little more than a month later on 20th June, flying L1836, he made a crash-landing. These two incidents, if both attributed to him, might be the reason he ended up in early September with 615 Squadron at Kenley who operated Gladiators.

Gillen then went on to the newly-formed 152 Squadron at Acklington on 2nd October. He was one of four pilots detailed to form a defence flight at Sumburgh, Shetlands, arriving on 25th November 1939.

He was still there when it was renamed the Fighter Flight Sumburgh on 5th January 1940.

Above: at Sumburgh (L to R): F/O RA Winter, F/Lt. FM Thomas, F/O TW Gillen.

On 1st January 1940, Gillen claimed a He111 destroyed over the Shetlands area (KG30 lost a Ju88 this day). On 18th April he claimed a He111 as damaged over the Shetlands (later identified as a Ju88 and credited by some sources as unconfirmed destroyed).

On 29th January 1940 he married Elizabeth Toleith in Edinburgh (below).

On 5th June 1940 Gillen made a claim against a Do17 near Lerwick, though there is no record of a Luftwaffe loss this day. Regrettably Hudson Mk.1 N7255 from 233 Squdron was lost in the same area with F/O James Dunn, P/O John Lambert Piercey, Cpl Robert Purves & Sgt Raymond Cyril Dodd listed as 'missing'.

It's possible that this was a case of mis-identification.

On 23rd July 1940, a Gladiator from 247 Squadron was damaged at Usworth airfield, Durham, while on a transit flight from the Shetlands to Roborough. F/O TW Gillen was unhurt and the aircraft was repairable.

On the 1st August 1940 the flight was posted to Roborough and re-designated 247 Squadron, its new role was the defence of Plymouth dockyards. They were still equipped with Gladiators.

247 Squadron converted to Hurricanes at the beginning of 1941 but Gillen would have had to convert again to the Spitfire when he was posted as 'B Flight' commander of 313 (Czech) Squadron, serving from 3rd June 1941 to 15th September 1941.

On 15th September 1941 "Flt Lt Gillen" is recorded as being posted to 118 Squadron from 313 Squadron.

Gillen was one of the serving pilots chosen to appear in the film "The First of the Few", released in 1942 and filmed at Ibsley. Leslie Howard directed and starred in the production, which portrays "... aviation pioneer RJ Mitchell's desperate struggle to develop the Spitfire fighter plane before war with Germany begins - and he succumbs to cancer".

Above: Gillen in stills from the film.

On 1st November 1941 he was recorded as "Non-effective sick" at Ibsley. There is no further trace of him in the 118 Squadron records.

Its possible that his illness reduced his flying rating as there is no record of him flying in fighter aircraft during the rest of the war. There is an undocumented period until November 1944 when as a Squadron Leader he is on the strength of 233 Squadron, sadly coincidental in view of the 1940 incident. The squadron operated Dakotas.

These notes give an insight into his routine, all carried out in Dakota KG313:

1st November 1944 - Convey passengers from Northolt to B58/ Melsbroek, returning the following day to Blakehill Farm with 12th Airborne personnel.

9th November 1944 - Convey 19 VIPs from Northolt to B58/ Brussels, returning on 10th with 12 VIPs destined for Northolt and one for Blakehill.

1st December 1944 - Take part in a 10-aircraft lift carrying ammunition to B58/ Melsbroek. S/Ldr. Gillen took-off from Blakehill at 09:16, unloaded at Brussels and then embarked personnel and kit for Perranporth in Cornwall. The Dakota was back at base by 18:00.

7th December 1944 - Convey, with two other Dakotas, RAF stores from Bicester to B58/ Melsbroek, returning to base with eleven walking wounded and one passenger.

Then in mid-December 1944 Gillen was given command of the reformed 243 Squadron to operate Dakotas in the SW Pacific to support the British Pacific Fleet bases. The squadron eventually got to Australia via Canada, but the war was soon over.

However, Gillen had moved on before then as with promotion to Wing Commander, he became the CO of 96 Squadron (Dakotas) in May 1945 and continued in the role until the squadron disbanded in June 1946.

During that time the squadron served in India and then Hong Kong. He was then given command of 31 Squadron (Dakotas again) in July 1946 until the squadron disbanded in September after flying to support forces dealing with uprisings in Java and Sumatra.

Gillen's subsequent service is currently undocumented until he was released from the RAF in 1958 as a Wing Commander.

He died in 1969.

The majority of research courtesy of Dean Sumner.