Date of birth:

December 27th, 1917 (Dorset, Great Britain)

Date of death:

August 28th, 2014

Service number:

72012

Nationality:

British

Thomas Carter went to school in Weymouth and then studied natural sciences at Cambridge, which led to his doctorate in science and philosophy. He was recruited into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves when still studying to to work on the back then secret radar technology, then known as range and direction finding radio.
Starting out in Dover, Carter spent the war setting up radar stations from one end of the country to the other and at important strategic positions wherever the troops went..
In February 1942, he Carter took over as senior radio officer in Singapore. As the units withdrew to Java as the Japanese invaded the island, he was responsible for seeing the last remaining 15 RAF officers and 251 airmen off the island, before leaving himself.
The ship he left on was sunk but he was picked up by another passing ship and put down on the east coast of Sumatra with five others. There he had to cross the 300 mile wide island. Meeting other survivors along the way, they managed to commandeer a small boat for part of the journey, then walked until they were taken by lorry to the railway. At one point they came across some Australians who appeared pointing their guns, they admitted to being deserters and Carter persuaded them to surrender their weapons.
Two destroyers bound for Ceylon had put in for fuel and picked up the now 28 survivors who later transferred at sea on another ship to Colombo where they were immediately put to work to build another radar station with equipment found at the dockside.
Of the 266 RAF radar personnel who embarked at Singapore, 169 were missing presumed dead.
He also worked on secret coding including the first computer in the country which filled a whole building.
Following the war he worked for the medical council.

Apart from the decorations mentioned below he was also awarded the General Service Medal

Promotions:
November 16th, 1937: Pilot Officer
May 16th, 1939: Flying Officer
April 24th, 1940: transferred to the Technical Branche
September 28th, 1940: Flight Lieutenant
January 1st, 1943: Temporary Squadron Leader
February 13th, 1943: Squadron Leader (war sub)
July 1st, 1944: Temporary Wing Commander

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• - The London Gazette Issue 34455 published on the 16 November 1937
  - The London Gazette Issue 34822 published on the 2 April 1940
  - The London Gazette Issue 35028 published on the 31 December 1940
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35885 published on the 29 January 1943
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35946 published on the 16 March 1943
  - Second Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36084 published on the 6 July 1943
  - Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36618 published on the 18 July 1944
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 37407 published on the 28 December 1945
  - Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 37744 published on the 27 September 1946
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