Thomas Henry Desmond Drinkwater

Thomas Henry Desmond Drinkwater was a Squadron Leader, service number 47841. CWGC records his death on 18 May 1944 and his burial at Nantes (Pont-du-Cens) Communal Cemetery. The London Gazette records his Distinguished Flying Cross, and RAFCommands links the award to the same service number.

RAFweb supplies the clearest casualty entry: Drinkwater was killed while flying Mustang III FZ164 of No. 122 Squadron, shot down by flak near Tours during a Ranger to the Tours-Nantes area. Aircrew Remembered’s 122 Squadron page for Ernest Leslie Joyce independently names Drinkwater, gives the same service number and aircraft, and says he was shot down by anti-aircraft fire near Nours, France. That page also quotes the DFC citation summary, describing Drinkwater as an outstanding leader who had completed many operational sorties. The details are included here because both pages identify him by name and service number. These records tie the same name to the same service number, award trail and casualty date, reducing the risk of confusing him with another airman of similar name.