Bomber Command Veteran Tom Davidson to be given Legion d'honneur.
 

In my local paper today. Tom was a Warrant Officer Flight Engineer with 466 Squadron during WW2, and completed 30 operations. So one cant even begin to imagine what danger this brave, modest man went through.
92 year old Tom will be given the top honour by the honorary French Consul in Durham Cathedral at the completion of the Festival of Remembrance Concert, Saturday 7th November (tickets still available). I would have gone but I'm off to London.
Tom will be remembering his wife, who passed away after 70 happy years of marriage (married June 1944, she could have been a war widow as a teenager, as Tom says), and also his brother Frank, also a Flight Engineer killed in service November 1943).
God bless you Tom, hope its a good night.

Well done that man.

I'm surprised that nobody else here seems to want to acknowledge this award.

Hangarshuffle - you don't say in which degree the award has been made [I would guess Chevalier]. Whatever else it can't be denied that the French are generous in their recognition of service by foreigners in their cause.

I too hope that Mr Davidson has a lovely day.

Does anyone know the mechanism for putting someone's name forward for a Légion d'Honneur?
I know a 91 year old Halifax pilot - shot down on his first trip - who successfully evaded via the Comet Line and returned to operations (a bit unusual that..?). He went on to complete 38 ops.
PM me if you know. Many thanks.

Edited to add: I've written to his MP.

EXUW - The Sunderland Echo is a good if modest paper these days - I cant seem to see your answer here in print.
facebook.com/sunderlandechoonline seems to be where they point me or us.


Toms modest quotes as a 92 year old to the Echo. " When I put the key in the door to the aircraft I was frightened, but then training took over".
"You tried not to think about the fear and just concentrate on what you were doing".
"As a crew we depended on each other so much".
" We had a fantastic pilot with great skill and strength, and he got us out of a lot of situations".
The Echo reporter then goes on to tell of Tom and crew being caught in 20 or 30 searchlights, having to abort take offs in real danger, and regularly avoiding bullets and shells.


Tom also said he was very, very proud and humbled to receive the honour.




*When I was a very young man I read the book "Bomber" by Len Deighton. Its still the best book, if utterly shocking and horrifying, I have ever read, profoundly moving, and when I now read or see people like Tom, who went through that sort of ordeal, I am still humbled by them. HS.

Video interview with Tom here ;

Washington war hero Tom ?very proud and humbled? with top French military honour - Sunderland Echo