Son of George Thomson and Esther Greig, of 42, Wanstead Park Avenue, Manor Park, Essex. Contributor: Lizzie (49503671) ----- GREIG, Charles W, Ty/Flight Sub Lieutenant, attempting to escape, DOW RNAS Thasos, Greece, A Flight, 2 Wing, flying in Henry Farman F27 pusher biplane, raid on Geravitz seaplane base, failed to return, Flight Lieutenant R W Frazier RNVR also taken prisoner Contributor: Wertypop (46806984) -- Flight Sub-Lieutenant entered the air service on 9th August 1915, RNAS certificate 2179 17.12.1915. He was based at Whale Island, Chingford and Westgate before moving abroad. On 8th July 1916 in Bristol Scout D 8962 of RNAS Manston, he overturned whilst landing at base. It is clear he survived but there are currently no details if he was injured. Flight Sub-Lieutenant Charles William Greig left England on 21st (TBC) October 1916 for No.2 Wing and travelled overland. 2 Wing RNAS was operating from Thasos In the Aegean Sea in support of operations on the Salonika Front carrying out bombing and reconnaissance missions over Bulgaria. He was taken prisoner and initially reported missing on 1st December 1916 following a bombing mission to Gereviz seaplane base by two Henry Farman F27 pusher biplanes - 3905 and 3916. The crews were from RNAS Thasos, Greece, A Flight, 2 Wing. Grieg's fellow crew member was Sub-Lieutenant Rowland W. Frazier RNVR and the other crew were Flight Lieutenant Edward J Cooper RN and Lieutenant Lord (Viscount) Torrington RNVR. The German seaplane base at Geraviz was about 35 miles from Thasos and it posed a constant threat to RNAS operations in the area. The Official History notes that on November 29 two Henry Farmans bombed the base from below a thousand feet and the ensuing fire caught hold and destroyed most of the buildings there. One of those aircraft was crewed by Grieg and Frazier. A Bulgarian official communique dated 2nd December contained the following: "Two enemy seaplanes flying from the Island of Thasos towards Porto Lagos were received by our Artillery and Machine Gun fire. At the same time two German Seaplanes bore down upon them. One of the enemy seaplanes was brought down on land and the other into the sea. We made Prisoners the four aviators, one of whom was wounded." It would appear that it was FSL Greig that was wounded in the leg. They were held prisoner in the camp at Philippopolis and reported as being in good condition in correspondence dated 30th March 1917, with Grieg's leg practically healed. Greig was shot by a sentry while attempting to escape from a Bulgarian POW camp on 12th September 1918, returned to camp and died in hospital the next day. He was 22 years old. Had he not been failed to return from his mission, he was due to be promoted on 1st Jan 1917 to Flight Lieutenant and in training had a very good record: "Hardworking & Good Officer", "Can take charge of men, keen & hardworking", "V.G. Officer and aeroplane pilot". On 25th August 1916 he was recommended for his promotion. There was a report that the Bulgarians had stripped Greig's body of insignia and ribbons. It turned out not to be true - the local Bulgarian General had very gallantly had them removed and safeguarded while Greig's unifom jacket was cleaned-he didnt want Greig's parents to be distressed by bloodstains.