Edward was born on 11 August 1918 in Baghdad, Iraq to Abraham and Habiba (Hilda) Bashi. Further details of his family are unknown to date. In 1939 Edward was living at 8 Bryn Road, Swansea and was attending university where he was studying for an engineering degree. He enlisted at the end of 1940.

Edward was the navigator of Lancaster DV192 which departed from RAF Grimsby on a night operation to Friedrichshafen. The aircraft was hit by flak causing a fire and the crew were ordered to bail out by the pilot. The W/Op Norman Thom had just put on his parachute when he was blown out of the aircraft when it exploded. The rest of the crew were killed and are buried in They-Sous-Montfort Churchyard, Lorraine, France.

Norman’s escape report can be found on the link below.

Pilot, William John Bell, 172301

F/E, William Leonard Evans, 1026577

A/G, Laurence Jakeman, 1505659

A/B, Kenneth Stanley Keeping, 659155

A/G, Gordon William McLean, RAAF, 424124

W/Op, Norman Thom, 1397971, evaded.