Thomas Francis Neil - RAF

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EJ - Oct 1940

FOUR IN ONE FIGHT
WORSLEY PILOT OFFICER WINS D.F.C.

The destruction of 10 enemy aircraft during the past three weeks is the record of a 20 years old pilot officer, and his ability as a fighter pilot has won for him the honour of having been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The decoration was won in a single fight in which he shot down four raiders, two bombers, and two fighters, and when this was made known last week, a telegram of congratulation was sent to him from the Eccles Secondary School of which he is an old boy.



He is Pilot Officer Thomas Francis Neil, the only son of Mr and Mrs T Neil, of Worsley, who have resided in the district for the past five years. Pilot Officer Neil was only 18 years of age when he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, as a sergeant pilot pupil. He was called up on the Saturday before the war was declared, and in May, when he was 19 years of age, obtained his commission as a pilot officer. Whilst at the Secondary School he was a most popular scholar, and when he took the School Certificate in 1937 he was awarded the school art prize, his drawing being an aeroplane. From the age of 10 he had been keenly interested in aircraft, and in his home are a number of models made by him. Before being called up he was employed in the District Bank at Gorton. He was home on leave about three weeks ago and the first news his parents heard of his distinguished was contained in a letter written to them about a week ago. He came home this week for a short leave.
Pilot Officer Neil is a keen footballer and cricketer and has played with several local teams, his last club being Roe Green, of which he was a popular member.



D.F.C. citation 01/10/1940

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EJ – Nov 1940

BAR TO D.F.C.

FOR WORSLEY FIGHTER PILOT



Worsley has further reason to be proud of its first air ace of the war, Pilot Officer Thomas Francis Neil, who has again distinguished himself as a fighter pilot. This week it was announced that the King had approved the award of a bar to the D.F.C. he won at the beginning of October. He engaged a Junkers 87 and destroyed it within six minutes and he was then attacked by three Messerschmitt 109’s, two of which he destroyed. Tribute has been paid to his “magnificent fighting spirit” which has enabled him to destroy at least 11 enemy aircraft.
Pilot Officer Neil is 20 years of age and resides with his parents, Mr and Mrs T Neil at Elm Grove, Worsley. Before being called up on the Saturday before war was declared he was employed in the District Bank at Gorton, and is an old boy of the Eccles Secondary School. Formerly in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, which he joined when 18 years of age as a sergeant pilot pupil, he gained his commission in May and he has won for himself a place amongst the most skilful and successful of the fighter pilots. He has always been keenly interested in aircraft flying and the making of model aircraft has been his hobby.
His parents and the Worsley district as a whole are proud of him and of his achievements.


Bar to the D.F.C. citation 26/11/1940

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Links to more information.

www.thesoutheastecho.co.uk/Pilots/Neil_TF.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Neil

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Victoria Derbyshire interviews - Tom Neil

link