DeLos Thomas, Jr. (1896-1923) was an officer of the Virginia Glee Club during the 1915-1916 and 1916-1917 seasons. He became a Naval aviator during World War I, leading a post-war test flight to establish the efficacy of aerial bombing that sank a stray German U-Boat in 1920, but perished when his plane was lost returning from a flight to Bimini.
Thomas was born in Roanoke, VA, the son of the general freight manager of Norfolk & Western Railway.[1] He attended the University through 1917, where in addition to the Glee Club he was a member of the gymnastics team.[2] In the Glee Club, he sang first bass and served as Secretary and Treasurer in 1915-1916[3] and Vice President in 1916-1917[4]; he also played in the Mandolin Club.
Thomas became a Naval aviator, and following the war participated in an aerial bombing test that sought to establish whether airplanes could be an effective anti-submarine defense. The test sank the captured German U-boat U-117.[5]
Thomas left the Navy sometime prior to 1923, when a seaplane he was piloting from Bimini to Florida disappeared without a trace.[6]
References
- ↑ Makers of America. I. B.F. Johnson. 1915. pp. 289-292. http://books.google.com/books?id=JdoDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA289&dq=%22delos+thomas%22&hl=en&ei=Fl3tS9_4DcL48AbTuvD9Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22delos%20thomas%22&f=false.
- ↑ "Gym Team Organized After Many Setbacks". College Topics: p. 2. 1917-02-28. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XwwtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=umkEAAAAIBAJ&dq=delos-thomas&pg=1784%2C1687608.
- ↑ Corks and Curls. 29. 1916. http://books.google.com/books?id=1dlKAAAAYAAJ&dq=editions%3ALCCNca07000624&client=firefox-a&pg=PA290#v=onepage&q=glee&f=false.
- ↑ Corks and Curls. 30. 1917. pp. 312-317. http://books.google.com/books?id=G9pKAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22university%20of%20virginia%22%20%22glee%20club%22&client=firefox-a&pg=PA312#v=onepage&q=%22glee%20club%22&f=false.
- ↑ "The Naval Bombing Tests". Flying X (5): 199-201. July 1921. http://books.google.com/books?id=dNdLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA199&dq=%22delos+thomas%22&hl=en&ei=M13tS8zjIYL68Ab-1pD-Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCkQ6AEwATgU#v=onepage&q=%22delos%20thomas%22&f=false.
- ↑ "Seaplane is Lost on Trip to Bimini". St. Petersburg Times: p. 1. 1923-02-28. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=J6UwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qUwDAAAAIBAJ&dq=delos-thomas&pg=2945%2C7404074.