Glyn was born on 1 November 1915 at 14 Water Street, Briton Ferry, Glamorgan; that street is now known as Ormond Street, Briton Ferry, Neath, Port Talbot. He matriculated to Neath Boys’ Grammar School, Dwr-y-Felin, Neath, leaving to work at W. B. Trick, Son & Lloyd, a local Estate and Travel Agency.
W. B. Trick, Son & Lloyd (known as ‘Tricks’) was formed around 1871 by W. B. Trick, who was an entrepreneur and politician. ‘Tricks’ held the license for livestock auctions in the town of Neath and practised as real Estate Agents, which, through selling chattels of immigrants to the ‘New World’ of the USA, were appointed by the Cunard Steamship Company as Ticket Agents.
Glyn developed the Travel Agency part of this business, and in 1954, took over the business, practising both Estate Agents and Travel Agents. He further developed the Travel Agency, bringing it to a fully licensed Travel Agency, including IATA and ABTA, selling the business to the P & 0 Shipping Company in 1970 (Bethell Gwyn). The family then opened a new Travel Agency – Clearway Travel Ltd – in Morriston, Swansea in 1973, selling their shares in 1978. Glyn retired in 1980 when Martyn moved the business with a new name, Trick & Thomas, to Alfred Street, West Glamorgan, Wales.
RAF SERVICE
During World War Two, Glyn served in the Royal Air Force as an Observer (Navigator), with his first operational flight as a student Navigator on the first 1,000 Bomber Raid to Koln, Germany, in 1942.
On the night of 30 May 1942, Glyn was a trainee Navigator in Vickers Wellington X9606 departing RAF Morton-in-the-Marsh at 23:13 for a 5-hour, 45-minute flight; this flight to Cologne in Germany, part of the first 1,000 Bomber Raid, and his first operational mission.
On completion of training, he served on Vickers Wellington Bombers on 38 Squadron, RAF, in Egypt. After Egypt, he returned to Britain by RAF Sunderland seaplane, being posted to RAF Limavady as an Instructor. His next posting was for conversion training to Consolidated B24 Liberator bombers in the Bahamas.
RAF 100 GROUP
On return to Britain, he was posted to 223 Squadron at RAF Oulton, Norfolk, as part of RAF 100 Group.
RAF (ex USAAF) Consolidated B24 Liberator 'O' Orange 223 Sqn, RAF 100 Group
RAF Oulton 1944, courtesy: Martyn W. G. Thomas
Crew with RAF (ex USAAF) Consolidated B24 Liberator 'O' Orange 223 Sqn, RAF 100 Group
RAF Oulton 1944, courtesy: Martyn W. G. Thomas
FAMILY & PROFESSION
Glyn married his wife Betty in 1951 at St Catherine’s Church, Baglan. They had three children – Elisabeth, Lynne, and Martyn. Betty passed away on 22 December 1990. Glyn was a Rotarian and member of the travel organisation SKAL, gaining Honours in his studies with the Valuers and Auctioneers Institute as well as MTAI (Member of the Travel Agents Institute).
Glyn passed away on 1 May 1992.
by son Martyn W. G. Thomas
This article is from the Winter 2017 issue of Confound and Destroy
