thompson

William and Annie Thompson are shown on the CWGC site as resident at 83 Regent Street, Kettering, Northants. 8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment crossed to France on 10th September 1915, via Folkstone and Boulogne, and on the night of their arrival staying the night in a Rest Camp at Boulogne. On 11th September they entrained at Pont-des-Briques for Watten; on arrival being billeted at Bayenghem-les-Eperlecques. The Battalion undertook further battle training before marching up towards the front line. On 24th September 1915 they bivouacked at Fours-a-Chaux, one and a half miles from Noeux-les-Mines, having moved via Racquinghem, Norrent, and Cauchy-a-la-Tour. On 25th September, as part of 63rd Brigade, 21st Division, they were warned for firing line duty at 10.30 am and moved up to Vermelles at 2.30 pm under artillery fire where they relieved a battalion of 15th Division at 7.10 pm, with 8th Somerset Light Infantry on their right. On 26th and 27th September 8th Lincolnshire were heavily engaged in the Battle of Loos. Total casualties from 48 hours of intensive action were: 22 Officers and 471 Other Ranks, killed, wounded, missing and prisoners (of a total of 28 Officers and 995 ORs). On 28th September the survivors of the Battalion were mustered in the support trenches and left Vermelles for the rear, proceeding by road and rail to Linghem. It is likely that Pte William Thomas Thompson was only officially reported as missing at the first full Battalion muster parade after the battle, on 29th September 1915.//

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CWGC record From his service record: He was born in the 3rd quarter of 1880 in Salford, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, England. His father's first name is William. He enlisted on 27 December 1898 into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 4th Bn Manchester Regiment. when he was 18 years of age. His height was 5 ft 3¼, his weight 123 lb, fresh complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. His occupation was barman. He was engaged for a period of 6 years in 1898, and continued to serve until his death. He took part in the South African campaign of 1899-1902, for which he received the Queen's South African Medal. Samuel was married to Ada Dugmore in St Stephens, Salford, on 22 February 1905. He served in France from 4 October 1914 until his death, which was accepted for official purposes to have occurred on 30 October 1914.

His father William THOMPSON was the son of Richard THOMPSON & Harriet RUBERY who married in 1852 in the Wolverhampton Registration District; so his second forename came from his grandmother's maiden name. Harriet RUBERY was related to the RUBERY family who established the engineering firm which became Rubery, Owen & Co Ltd. Anyone who would like to know more about this family can contact me via my website at www.rowberry.org.

Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum seek WW1 photos We at the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum in Caernarfon are starting the mammoth task of looking for photos of individual soldiers from the RWF who were killed in the Great War.

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

This one is really worth 1,000 words!!! I'd love to know his story!!!

Kristen Davis Newpaper account: "BURGLARY AT NORTH SHIELDS -- SMART SENTENCES -- To-day, at North Shields, Alfred Thompson, a painter, and John Reay, a labourer, were charged with stealing three hens, a cock and fifteen pigeons, valued £9 6d, the property of George Bolam, from a garden at Ropery Banks on Aug 31st; a further stealing a padlock valued a shilling, the property of John Patterson. Thompson was further charged with assaulting P.C. Taylor at the same time and place. George Bolam, residing at Waldow Street, stated that he rented a garden. On Saturday he left the place secure. There were four hens and a cock there and fifteen pigeons. When he went back on Sunday morning he found the place had been broken into and all the pigeons and cock and hens were gone. He valued them at £9 6s. Afterwards he identified the dead birds produced at the police station. His garden was next to Borough Road. P.C. Taylor stated early on Sunday morning he was on duty at the Ropery Banks and heard a noise in Balam's garden. On going there he saw the two defendants. Thompson was outside of the pigeon house with a bag, and the other defendant, who was inside the house, was killing the birds and passing them out. He followed the defendants and took them into custody. On searching them at the Police Station, he found several padlocks and keys upon them. Reay's hands were covered with blood. Sergt. Proud deposed to taking 24 keys from Thompson. There were several skeleton keys amongst them which opened the locks at the garden. P.C. Taylor stated when he charged the defendants on Sunday night Thompson replied, "That's right," and Reay said, "I say the same." Both defendants pleaded guilty, and said thy were under the influence of drink at the time. John Patterson, a cartman, said he had a stable at Ropery Banks. When he went on Sunday morning he found that the doors ahd been opened and the padlocks missing. Sergt. Proud deposed to taking a padlock form Thompson's pocket. When charged by P.C. Taylor, Thompson replied, "I had it in my pocket when I was locked up." Reay replied, "I was with him." Upon the third charge, P.C. Taylor stated that when he took Thompson into custody he seized him by the shoulders, forced him back against one of the wooden sheds, and kicked him several times about the legs. Both the men were sober at the time. Thompson persisted in saying that he was under the influence of drink at the time, or he wouldn't have been there. Upon the first charge defendants were committed to prison for two months, on the second charge one month each, and for the assault Thompson was committed for fourteen days; the sentences to follow each other." ---Shields Daily Gazette, 1 Sep 1902, page 3 Here's his partner in crime: