Born in Reykjavik,Iceland, in 1921,Thorsteinn 'Tony'Jonsson travelled to England in April 1940 and joined the RAF. After training as a pilot,he joined 17 Squadron in July 1941 as a sergeant, to fly Hurricanes. Three months later, he transferred to 111 Squadron, flying Spitfires from North Weald, Essex.He flew squadron sweeps and bomber escort missions,including 'Rhubarbs' (roving low-level patrols by aircraft pairs) over northern France.By the time the squadron was withdrawn from the front line, he had completed 31 sweeps.Later in 1942, the squadron prepared for service overseas and in November it sailed for Gibraltar to support Operation Torch, the Anglo-American landings in French North-West Africa. After flying into Maison Blanche (now Houari Boumediene Airport) near Algiers,Jonsson and his fellow pilots were soon in action and on November 15, Jonsson shot down a Heinkel He Ⅲ near Bone (Annaba). Within a week he had claimed a Junkers Ju 88 and a Messerschmitt Bf 109. He also damaged another Ju 88. By the middle of January 1943, Allied forces had advanced east and 111 Squadron moved to Souk-el-Khemis in eastern Tunisia. On January 18, Jonsson claimed another Bf 109 and, when his tour ended in March, he was awarded an immediate DFM and commissioned. The citation described him as being "a courageous and skilful pilot, who shows the greatest keenness to engage the enemy".
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