THOMPSON, John
| Service Number: | 759 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 August 1914, Enlisted at Bendigo |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 7th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Toorak, Victoria, Australia, June 1891 |
| Home Town: | Bendigo, Greater Bendigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Turkey, 25 April 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Panel 28, Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bendigo St. Andrews Presbyterian Church "They Died That We May Live" Roll of Honor, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 759, Enlisted at Bendigo | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 1914: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 7th Infantry Battalion | |
| 19 Oct 1914: | Involvement 759, 7th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Oct 1914: | Embarked 759, 7th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement Corporal, 759, 7th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 759 awm_unit: 7 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1915-04-25 |
Help us honour John Thompson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of Alexander Burgoyne Thompson and Sarah Thompson nee Wardle of 457 Toorak Road, Toorak, Victoria. Brother of Archibald Russell Thompson who returned to Australia on 13 April 1919 having served with the 2 Signal Company
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
According to the book “Our Dear Old Battalion” written by Ron Austin on page 43 a soldier related that “once ashore the Platoon Sergeant Ted Ault ordered us to split as we neared what was afterwards called the Pimple; Ault, 869 Fred Pearson, 759 Jackie Thompson, 210 Bill Burt, 862 Bill Stewart and 860 Mick O’Dwyer being amongst those that went to the left while others went to the right. None of the left party were ever seen again.”
Biography contributed by Larna Malone
John Thompson, known as ‘Little Tommy’, or ‘Jackie’, was born in Toorak, the son of Alexander Burgoyne & Sarah Thompson, of Toorak. He was a Clerk at the Royal Bank of Australia, Bendigo. Aged 23 years & 2 months, he had no previous military service. He was amongst the early volunteers for the Expeditionary Force, enlisting on 18.8.14. The following day he left Bendigo for the Broadmeadows Camp. He was allotted Service no. 759 and appointed to ‘G’ Company, 7th Battalion. He was given the rank of Corporal and assigned as Orderly-room Corporal.
The 7th Battalion left Broadmeadows Camp on 18 October, 1914, and embarked for service overseas on board HMAT ‘Hororata’. Arriving in Egypt the battalion moved into camp at Mena, at the foot of the pyramids. (6/12/14)
In January, 1915, the Australian force was re-organized. In the 7th Battalion ‘G’ and ‘H’ Companies joined to form the new ‘D’ Company. This meant that all the men from Northern Victoria were together in one Company.
The 7th Battalion was part of the force which landed at Anzac Cove on 25th April, 1915.
John Thompson was KIA 25/4/1915. He was one of the men who went forward from the main body. Varying reports were given as to his last location. Shortly after the Landing he was sent back either with a message to Colonel Elliott or with a party of four on fatigue duty. He was seen with Stan Dunstan and Mancel Davies, and also with QM Sayers. (Note: Stan Dunstan, Mancel Davies, and QM Sayers were all listed as “Missing”, later changed to KIA. )
After the evacuation of Anzac a Board of Enquiry sat on 5/6/16 in France. They determined, John Thompson, “Previously reported Missing now reported Killed in Action”. His body was never found and he has no known grave. His name was recorded on the Lone Pine Memorial.
“The First Lot. 7th Battalion. The first men of the Bendigo district to volunteer for service in the First World War.”: Larna Malone