Edward Thomas (British Army officer)

Major Edward Thomas MC (15 April 1915 – 1999) was awarded a Military Cross in May 1941 for his actions at Halfaya Pass.

Thomas was ordered to the head of the pass with one gun and upon finding 260 Battery without officers he took command and arranged the evacuation of the wounded.

He then encountered a further 100 men with no leaders from the Royal Indian Army Service Corps; he commandeered their trucks and drove the remaining survivors through a recently established German camp to safety.

His merit led to him administering large areas of Libya from Kufra Oasis, in which his fluency in Arabic came in useful.

As the war drew to a close he was asked to stay on by both Emperor Haile Selassie and the King of Libya, but elected to return home to England and continue the development of the family property business which he did so successfully.