Tommy Dowson
Brian Harrison has submitted the following:-
Great Uncle Tommy
Thomas, or Tommy as he was known, was born 1917 in Milkwellburn, a small mining village which once stood below Hamsterley Colliery by the Derwent on the opposite bank to Blackhall Mill. He was the son of Thomas and Nellie Dowson (nee Lauderdale).
He joined the navy at the outset of the Second World War, quickly finding his feet. After a few years, while stationed at Yarmouth, he met and fell in love with Doris Phylis Wilgress. They were married in 1942 in Great Yarmouth and 1 year later had a son, Brian Raymond Dowson. Unfortunately, Tommy was killed in action on the 1st November 1944 age 27 on board the HMS Motor Launch 146 at the Battle of Walcheren Causeway.
His Last Hurrah
On 27th October 1944 at 3.15pm Tommy set out from Ostend as part of the Support Squadron Eastern Flank (SSEF) Force for the Walcheren landings, operation Infatuate. The whole operation was an attempt to secure the port of Antwerp to help supply the allied forces. It was meant to have been a three-pronged attack. The first set of Royal Marine Commandos would land at Flushing under the relative cover of the early morning with the second SSEF force and other Royal Marine Commandos attacking by sea with air cover at Walcheren. The first group landed at Flushing at 6.15 am with little to no resistance and began to make their way in land. Unfortunately for the second landing at Walcheren the weather was against them and the planes were unable to fly. The landing was set in broad daylight at 9.15am.
Unfortunately, the Germans had fortified the entire landing area making landing near impossible. It would soon become one of the most bitter and gallant battles of the war. By 12.30pm, nine of the Support Squadron's craft had been sunk, eleven put out of action, and a high percentage of their crews killed or wounded, Tommy amongst them. Ultimately the Support Squadron was recalled as so many of the craft had been damaged or destroyed, but their aim, of drawing the fire of the defending batteries from the landing craft making the primary assault, had succeeded.
Their bravery and sacrifice had prevailed. In a tribute to the bravery of the Support Squadron, General Laycock, Chief of Combined Operations, wrote to Captain A.F. Pugsley with the following words:
"I understand that the success of the landings and the comparatively light casualties sustained by No. 4 Special Service Brigade at Walcheren was due largely to the heroic efforts of the Naval Support Craft who, at great cost to themselves, effectively silenced the coastal defences. I should like to express the appreciation of all ranks, Special Service Group, and particularly that of General Sturges and Brigadier Leicester and all ranks of No. 4 Special Service Brigade for the self-sacrifice shown by all naval personnel during the landings, which had such splendid results."
Tommy Dowson is remembered at Medomsley on M36.01 and on our List of Ships' Crews