Thomson Frederick Stanley Lieut

SKR/DAT/IP/21296

Thomson Frederick Stanley Lieut

2000-2024

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Surname: Thomson;

Forename(s): Frederick Stanley;

Initials: FS;

Rank: Lieut;

Resided in: Camden;

Previous Battalion: 14 of;

Previous Regiment: London Regt;

MGC Branch: Infantry;

MGC Unit: 169 Coy;

Date abroad: 15-Sep-1914;

Theatre of War: 1;

How killed: KIA;

Where: France;

When killed: 01-Jul-1916;

Other Data: 2/Lt 14 London & 169 MG Coy. NOK: W E S Thomson, 50 Hilldrop Rd, Camden, London N7
Estate: left will with 2 codicils. Executors - Lieut Jas Fdk Hay & Capt Robt Daniel Bridger, Gross value £1999.5.2d
Legacy of £100 each to brother & sister and pecuniary legacies of £136.10/0d to other persons plus specific articles and mementoes to other persons. Residue settled on mother: Kate Thomson, for life with remainder to sister - Mary Lucy Thomson and brother - Percy Thomson in equal shares. Residuary estate £1730.18.4d
Copy letter 6/11/1916 from Sgt E Strachan, 168 MG Coy "I must first ask your forgiveness for not answering the letters written me by you and your son. I have had a good deal of work on hand lately and I am afraid that I rather overlooked you. I will now endeavour to tell you everything I know of what happened to your son 2Lt FS Thomson on 1st July. First of all I must say that I did not see him either wounded or killed. When I joined him in the German 3rd line he was untouched except for a slight scratch on oine of his arms, which we dressed. During the first counter-attack by the Germans, your son was beside the gun keeping up a rapid fire with a German rifle and ammunition. When the word was given for the infantry to retire we remained in position until Mr Thomson gave the word, when we also retired. We now became separated owing to your son stopping every few yards and firing at the approaching Huns. Positively the last time I saw Mr Thomson was when I was about to leave the trench for the journery across No Mans Land when I saw him about 26 yards to my right apparently unharmed. He was then with other Scottish Officers one of whom I believe to be Capt Sparkes, but of this I am not certain, as I could not see them properly. There were, I regret to say, a great number of casualties during the retirement owing to the exceptionally heavy artillery and barrage fire and it was probably here he was hit. I am afraid that I can offer little hope of him being a prisoner, although on this occasion, the Germans did actually act "white" to our wounded. I must express my very sincere sympathy and DEEP REGRET THAT I CAN GIVE YOU NO BETTER NEWS OF SUCH A SPLENDID OFFICER FOR God knows he deserved to get back from that if any man did. Yrs faithfully R Strachan."
Statement: Cpl T A Forsyth "A" Coy Lewis Gun, London Scottish, 18/11/1916:
"When withdrawing from the German Line at about 3pm on July 1st, Mr Thomson left the trench just ahead of me. Just as I was getting out, a wounded man asked me for my water bottle which I gave him and I also stopped and picked up a bucket of ammunition. Whilst I was doing this I lost sight of Mr Thomson. When I got out on top, I found the ground was being swept with machine gun fire and a lot of our fellows were being hit. I therefore decided to make my way in dashes of 20 yards or so. When about 80 yards from the German line, I saw Mr Thomson lying on the ground and dropped down into a shell hole about 4 yards from him and called him to see if he was hit. Receiving no answer, I started to crawl to him but was forced to get back to the shell hole by a sniper who repeatedly fired at me and tore the heel off my boot with one of his shots and pierced my mess tin with another. I saw however that Mr Thomson had a large wound (probably an explosive bullet) through the right temple and was quite dead. I was prevented getting his papers by the German parties who came out as soon as it was dark and took in our wounded. To avoid being taken prisoner nyself. I had to leave the spot and made my way to our lines where I reported Mr Thomson's death."

Memorial Tablet: Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, Holborn.;

Other Notes: THOMSON, Lieutenant, FREDERICK STANLEY, 1st/14th Bn. London Regt (London Scottish) attd. 169th Coy. Machine Gun Corps (Inf). 1st July 1916. Age 34. Son of the late W.E.S. Thomson (Admiralty Registry and Treasury). A Civil Servant. (Admiralty Registry). Pier and Face 5 C and 12 C Thiepval Memorial - Somme, France.;

Related National Archives files: WO 374/68379;

END OF RECORD.

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