John Wallace Thomas (1888–1965) was a Newfoundland

merchant mariner A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

who served with distinction in the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Early life

Thomas was born in Newfoundland in 1885.

Service history

Royal Naval Reserve

At the age of 20, Thomas left his hometown of

Rose Blanche-Harbour le Cou Rose Blanche – Harbour le Cou is a small town on Newfoundland's southwest shore, about 45 km at the end of Route 470 from Port aux Basques. This community is located in a barren area on the east side of a small bay. In this bay there ...

for British Columbia to become a captain. The Pacific fleet of the Canadian Pacific Railway tended to hire its officers from the

Royal Naval Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...

s, and much was made of their long and faithful service to the company,Tate, E. Mowbray. (1986)
''Transpacific Steam: The Story of Steam Navigation from the Pacific Coast of North America to the Far East and the Antipodes, 1867-1941,'' p. 238.
/ref> including John Wallace, RNR.

Second World War

Thomas commanded the 26,000-ton (originally named RMS ''Empress of Japan'') throughout the Second World War. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his handling of the ship during an attack by the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

off the coast of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

on November 9, 1940. Captain Thomas was the only member of the Canadian Merchant Marine to receive the CBE during the war. Thomas died in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, in 1965. He is one of fourteen figures from Canada's military history to be commemorated at the

Valiants Memorial The Valiants Memorial (french: Monument aux Valeureux) is a military monument located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It commemorates fourteen key figures from the military history of Canada. Dedicated by Governor General Michaëlle Jean on 5 November ...

in Ottawa, Ontario.

Notes

References

The Valiants Memorial: John Wallace Thomas
The Valiants Foundation, 2004. Retrieved December 8, 2006. {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, John Wallace Newfoundland people of World War I Naval history of Canada Canadian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire British sailors 1965 deaths 1888 births Newfoundland people of World War II Royal Naval Reserve personnel