Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George William Wyville Thomson was born on the 28th of February,1893 at Bordertown, South Australia. Thomson was a natural born British subject and is the son of his father, Wyville Smythe Thomson, and his mother, who was also his next of kin, Constance Julia Gertrude Thomson. Although he was born at Bordertown, his hometown was Gladstone which is in the northern Areas of South Australia, Australia. He went to school in Gladstone at the Yongala Public School and then later as a young adult worked as a bank clerk for the National Australia Bank and worked in several country towns across South Australia. Thomson was a Christian, and his church was the Church of England.

Thomson enlisted for the Australian Imperial Force at only 21 years of age on the 31st of August 1914 at Morphettville.

After completing preliminary training on the 20th of October Thomson embarked on the HMAT Ascanius ship from Adelaide which was part of the 1st Convoy.

Thomson was involved in the Gallipoli landings on April 25th, 1915. He was evacuated to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station 21st May with a rupture and moved to the 1st Australian Stationary Hospital in Mudros on 29th May.  After treatment he returned to Gallipoli

On September 1st, Thomson was temporarily promoted to Sergeant but then on October 15th got a bullet wound to his left foot at the Gallipoli Peninsula and had to evacuate to the Hospital Ship Delta where 5 days later he was taken to the No. 1 Australian General Hospital.

Thomson was demoted back to Corporal presumably due to his injury and but was promoted back to Sergeant on March 8th, 1916, and further promoted Staff Sergeant on January 18th, 1917. A few months later on June 4th, 1917, he returned to the rank of Sergeant. One day after, Thomson was promoted to Staff Sergeant which role remained until his death and was temporarily transferred to the 63rd Battalion until 19th September 1917 when he rejoined 10th Battalion. He was on command at the 63 Drafting Battalion from 2nd October. In December 1917 he proceeded overseas to France and was taken on strength with the 10th Battalion 1st February 1918.

Two months after on the 23rd-24th of April, the 10th Battalion took over from the 11th Battalion in the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux in France. On the 24th April 1918 Thomson was sadly killed in action and so was a fellow soldier James Henry Hennessy. Thomson served in the AIF for a total of 3 years, 7 months and 24 days.

Red Cross records about Thomson’s death state:

 A soldier (Edwards, L.J. Pte. 5834) said “I helped carry out Staff Sergeant Thomson who had been killed by an M.G bullet while we were attacking at Meteran, he had been badly hit on the back. I know no further particulars.” Another soldier said “This was one of the most mysterious cases I have come across, and we have had a few in the 10th. Thomson was really a Sergeant a Q.M Sergeant (Quartermaster Sergeant) and after he had been round the lines seeing the boys, he was going back to H.Q (headquarters). The S/Bs who followed him about 10 minutes afterwards, found him lying across the road. They picked him up and put him on the stretcher on top of another man, and carried him to the Regtl. Aid Post (RAP, a hole dug in the side of a trench where wounds are treated). When they got him there, no sign of a wound could be found on him, and a careful search of the road showed no new shell hole, so there could be no concussion. A sort of enquiry was he in, but I do not know what the actual decision was. I believe they came to an opinion that his death was caused by head trouble. He had been wounded a one few months before and since had complained of pains in the head. He had also been gassed by our own gas, which, owing to a change of wind had blown back on us. He was about 28 or 30 years of age and 5 ft.6 or 7 in height. His complexion was very pale and he had dark hair.” And finally another soldier said “I saw Sergeant George Thomson’s body a few hours after he had been hit through the back at night-time at Meteren by a splinter from a shell. I can’t say whether he was killed instantly. I saw the body before daylight but nobody saw him killed. I think he must have been going from one platoon to another. I don’t know about burial. I didn’t know Sergeant George Thomson well – he was a darkish man of medium height, about 27-28yrs.”

George William Wyville Thomson was buried at the Meteren Military Cemetery in France, located in Nord Pas de Calais. His grave is in Plot IV, Row B, Grave No. 575, though there is some uncertainty regarding the exact grave number. Initially, George had been buried at Le Roukloshille Military Cemetery, but his body was exhumed on January 7th, 1920, and reburied at Meteren. The inscription on his grave reads “TRUST IN THE LORD.” A booklet documenting the deaths of various soldiers and nurses, including George’s, noted that a photograph of his grave was required by his family. The booklet mentioned sending the photograph to Mrs. Howard Potts, c/o Lieutenant Shepherdson, with a request from Mrs. C.J.G. Thomson (Constance Julia Gertrude Thomson, his mother) of Statenborough, Knightsbridge, South Australia.

It was said that George William Wyville Thomson was associated with another soldier, James Henry Hennessy, who also served in the 10th battalion and the same wars that George did. James happened to have been “killed in action” around the same time and place as George in Meteren France, which raised many suspicions as some evidence reveals that their deaths may be linked. On the 24th of April 1918, James was reported wounded and missing in action in France during the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. He was later discovered to have died from a gunshot. This was the same day that George was also killed in action. Both men were part of the 10th Battalion at the time and were reportedly alone or separated from others at the time of their deaths. According to James’s biography on the Australian War Memorial, James "sacrificed his life for his country," though the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. There are several theories about what may have happened. A soldier reported that George was talking to some other soldiers and then left to head back to HQ and that another soldier followed George for 10 minutes and then left, this soldier could possibly have been James after George left and could have been involved in his death possibly killing him intentionally or by accident. Another possibility is that the two men were attacked by the enemy while carrying out a task together as James was last seen going out with a picket, a group of soldiers, at approximately 10:30 PM and returned safely but was reported wounded. However, an hour later, he was reported missing around the same time George’s death occurred. George’s body was not found until early the next morning, and no obvious wounds were found on him at first, which raised many suspicions adding to the mystery. Some believe that James may have returned to HQ after an incident with George, then disappeared again and either committed suicide or was killed in combat shortly after. It has also been suggested that James may have developed mental illness during his time in the war, which could explain unusual or irrational behaviour. Another theory claims that James may have faked being shot by the enemy, when in fact he inflicted the fatal wound on himself. The timing and manner of their deaths, as well as the lack of witnesses, have led some to believe that the two incidents are linked. It is also possible that they were involved in a conflict with each other or were both caught in the same enemy attack as James died at 28 years and George died at 25 meaning they would have probably interacted with each other as George was Staff Sergeant and that both men were around the same age. However, there is not enough information to deem that any of these suspicions are true, therefore the death of George William Wyville Thomson is considered a mystery.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

(pdf files:)

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