Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Canada Farm Cemetery | III. D. 2. | |
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 10B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
Known as Harry.Family :
He was the third son of the late B. H. Thompson, formerly of Liverpool,Education & Career :
Educated at St Edwards Oxford.
The St Edwards School Chronicle recalls:
"Lieut. Thompson, the third of the four brothers, who were at the School, one of the large group of Old Boys in Ceylon, almost every one of whom have come home to serve, was one of those fearless cheerful people who are the ideal material for a soldier."
H. B. Thompson was at St. Edward's (Set D) from May, 1902 to Easter, 1908, a prefect, in the XI, 1905 1906, 1907, and the XV of 1907.
He won the Junior Hurdles, Hundred and Broad Jump in 1905.
He played for Harlequins R.F.C.
He went out to Ceylon, where his eldest brother was already, in 1911, became manager of an estate at Yatta Watte, Matale, and was a well-known horseman and member of the Ceylon Turf Club.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 29th Division A.H.Q. RFA |
| Action : The Battles of Ypres 1917 (Third Ypres, or Passchendaele) |
31 July - 10 November 1917. By the summer of 1917 the British Army was able for the first time to fight on its chosen ground on its terms. Having secured the southern ridges of Ypres at Messines in June, the main attack started on 31st July 1917 accompanied by what seemed like incessant heavy rain, which coupled with the artillery barrages conspired to turn much of the battlefield into a bog. Initial failure prompted changes in the high command and a strategy evolved to take the ring of ridges running across the Ypres salient in a series of 'bite and hold' operations, finally culminating in the capture of the most easterly ridge on which sat the infamous village of Passchendaele. The Official History carries the footnote ?The clerk power to investigate the exact losses was not available? but estimates of British casualties range from the official figure of 244,000 to almost 400,000. Within five months the Germans pushed the British back to the starting line, which was where they had been since May 1915.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | St John's Lodge of Colombo No. 454 E.C. | Sri Lanka |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
21st November 1914 | 16th January 1915 | 20th February 1915 |
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley