Cowley Thomas

Cowley Thomas, (27 June 1900 - September 1977) was a captain in the Royal Navy who served in Great War and World War II. Between the wars he served in the Royal Navy Submarine Service. He retired in 1934, but was recalled to active duty in 1938. During the Second World War he served as the Naval Officer in Charge of Tripoli, Bizerta, Taranto, Port-en-Bessin and Antwerp.

Early life William Cowley Thomas was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, on 27 June 1900, the son of Henry John Thomas, a stockbroker. He joined the Royal Navy s a midshipman on 1 May 1917, and served on the battleship during the Great War.

Between the wars Thomas was promoted to acting sub-lieutenant on 15 January 1919. This became substantive on 15 September 1919. He was then promoted to acting lieutenant on 15 August 1921. After training on the yacht , he joined the Royal Navy Submarine Service. He served in the Mediterranean as an officer on the submarine from September 1924 until May 1926. He then joined the cruiser . On 24 May 1928, he returned to submarines as an officer on the submarine . He assumed command of the submarine on 24 May 1929. He was promoted to lieutenant commander on 15 August 1929, and served on the cruiser in the Mediterranean from 21 April 1930 until 16 August 1931.

On 31 December, he assumed command of the submarine . He married Patricia Hamilton on 16 November 1931, and officially changed his name to just "Cowley Thomas". On 27 January 1933 he joined the submarine depot ship on the China station. Then, on 4 May 1933, he assumed command of the submarine . He retired at his own request on 25 May 1934.

Thomas became the Naval Officer in Charge (NOIC) in Tripoli on 1 March 1943, and HMS Hasdrubal (the naval base at Bizerta) on 1 July 1943. He became the NOIC at Taranto in Italy on 9 September 1943. He returned to the UK in February 1944, and became the NOIC on the Isle of Wight, with the acting rank of captain. during which he served as NOIC of Port-en-Bessin, the main petroleum port for the Allied forces. From September 1944 until 22 October 1945, he was the NOIC of Antwerp in Belgium, the largest port serving the Allied forces. and was advanced to the rank of Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1946 Birthday Honours.

Thomas died in Hove, Sussex, on 4 September 1977. He had no children.