1524 B.A.T. Flight, July 1943, Newton Airfield ,Notts

Newton: Beam Approach Training

Tom Abbott, 1385101, front, 2nd from right

By Tess Walker

Edgar Thomas [Tom] Abbott, born Beverley 1918, joined the London Metropolitan Police after school. Joined the RAF in 1941 and went to Macon, Georgia and Terrell, Texas to train pilots. He returned to Newton, Nottinghamshire on Beam Approach Training for pilots. In this photo, taken in July 1943, Tom is sitting 2nd from right. No knowledge of any of the other offices or crew. He also flew from Hockley Heath and Shobden in 1944. After the war he retrained as a school teacher at Wandsworth College and taught in Hackney, London. He attained the rank of Lieutenant (445733) in the Territorial Army, London Combined Army Cadet Force in 1955. He retired from teaching in 1960, continued in the TA, becoming Captain in 1962. He died in Somerset in 2002