Thomas Welch Horton | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Wing_Commander_Tom_Horton_in_1945.jpg) Horton in 1945 | |
| Born | 29 December 1919 Masterton, New Zealand |
| Died | 6 December 2021 (aged 101) Florida, U.S. |
| Allegiance | New Zealand United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal New Zealand Air Force (1939–47) Royal Air Force (1947–66) |
| Years of service | 1939–1966 |
| Rank | Wing Commander |
| Service number | 39920 (RNZAF) 59071 (RAF) |
| Commands | No. 105 Squadron RAF No. 203 Squadron RAF |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar |
Thomas Welch Horton, DSO, DFC & Bar (29 December 1919 – 6 December 2021) was a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) officer, pilot, and combat veteran who served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in a number of significant engagements during the Second World War. He was a member of No. 88 Squadron and flew anti-ship missions in the Bristol Blenheim and Douglas Boston. Horton also served with and later commanded No. 105 Squadron flying the de Havilland Mosquito in the Pathfinder Force (PFF) that marked targets for destruction by following groups of heavy bombers.
After the war, Horton was commissioned with the RAF and commanded No. 203 Squadron, flying maritime patrol missions in the Neptune MR.1. He served on the United Kingdom's Air Ministry staff and as a liaison officer in the Pentagon to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Horton retired with the rank of wing commander in 1966.