Leutnant Erich Thomas was a World War I flying ace

Flying ace

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

 credited with ten aerial victories. Nine of these were observation balloons he destroyed.

Thomas was assigned to Jasta 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

Balloon buster

Balloon busters were military pilots known for destroying enemy observation balloons. These pilots were noted for their fearlessness. Seventy-six fighter pilots in World War I were each credited with destroying five or more balloons, and thus were balloon aces....

 for Jasta 9 through 16 March 1918, when he downed numbers seven and eight. He then transferred to Jasta 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

Jean Chaput

Lieutenant Jean Chaput was a World War I flying ace credited with 16 aerial victories. He served in the army infantry beginning in 1913. He transferred to aviation in 1914. He qualified as a pilot by February 1915, was assigned to Escadrille 28, and scored his first victory on 12 June 1915 while...

, Marcel Émile Haegelen, and Auguste Lahoulle

Auguste Lahoulle

General Auguste Joseph Marie Lahoulle began his military career as a World War I flying ace. He was a double ace during the war, credited with ten confirmed aerial victories.-Service before and during World War I:...

. Thomas was taken prisoner of war.

Reference

Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918 Norman L. R. Franks, et al. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0948817739, 9780948817731.