| Erich Thomas | |
| Birth Date: | 10 February 1897 |
| Death Date: | 18 November 1960 |
| Birth Place: | Essen, Germany |
| Death Place: | Münster, Germany |
| Allegiance: | Germany |
| Branch: | Imperial German Air Service |
| Rank: | Leutnant |
| Unit: | Jagdstaffel 9, Jagdstaffel 22 |
| Awards: | Iron Cross First and Second Class |
Leutnant Erich Thomas was a World War I German flying ace credited with ten aerial victories. Nine of these were observation balloons he destroyed.[1] [2]
Thomas was assigned to Jagdstaffel 9 in December 1917. He shot down his first enemy observation balloon on 3 January 1918. He carried on his career as a balloon buster for Jasta 9 through 16 March 1918, when he downed numbers seven and eight. He then transferred to Jagdstaffel 22, and shot down a ninth balloon on 21 March, and a Sopwith on the 22nd. On 23 March, he attacked another French balloon and was shot down by Jean Chaput, Marcel Haegelen, and Auguste Lahoulle. Thomas was taken prisoner of war.[1]