World War II veteran and Burma Star recipient Thomas Mcbrien laid to rest
THOMAS Mcbrien – a Fermanagh World War II veteran who was a recipient of the Burma Star medal – has died at the age of 102.
Thomas, late of Derrin Road, Enniskillen, passed away on Friday, November 18. He was born ‘between the bridges’ in the town on March 18, 1920.
At the age of 19, he began his RAF Electrician training, and joined the war efforts as an Aircraftsman First Class, and a member of the RAF technical grounds crew in April, 1939.
He trained in Yorkshire and moved across various bases in England, including Lincolnshire and Leeds, and was posted to the Middle East. During this period, he worked on Squadron 61.
While he was overseas, the war effort took him to many places, including Singapore, the west coast of Africa, as well as Burma, and a number of oher areas.
Thomas spent this period of World War II in Squadron 205, where he mainly worked on Catalina aircrafts.
After the war, he returned to England via the Mediterranean, and worked briefly in London before returning home to Enniskillen.