S3188
THOMPSON, John Henry Charles
| Service Number: | 1365 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 12th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Prospect, South Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Prospect (SA), Prospect, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Memorials: | Nailsworth Prospect Salvation Army Memorial Organ and Honour Roll, Prospect Roll of Honour G-Z WWI Board |
World War 1 Service
| 15 Feb 1915: | Involvement Private, 1365, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Itonus embarkation_ship_number: A50 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Feb 1915: | Embarked Private, 1365, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Itonus, Adelaide | |
| 1 Jan 1918: | Involvement 1365, 12th Infantry Battalion | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 1365, 12th Infantry Battalion |
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Completed by St Dominic's Priory College
John Henry Charles Thompson enlisted to the join the AIF at 21 years of age. He previously worked as a labourer, and lived with his mother in Prospect, South Australia. As seen on his attestation form, John is described as 5’7, with brown hair and brown eyes. He did not have a spouse or children, and his next of kin was listed to be his mother.
John embarked from Adelaide, on board HMAT A50 Itonus on the 15th February 1915. He contracted Syphilis while in Egypt, and was taken to Alexandria to be treated at a hospital. He later then rejoined his troop to prepare for battle in Gallipoli. John was also transferred to various different hospitals for sunstroke, gonorrhoea and diarrhoea multiple times over the course of his service.
John also broken many rules, often disobeying commands and being absent without leave.
On July 21, 1916, John and his battalion were involved in the brutal fighting at Pozières, part of the larger Battle of the Somme in France. There he was injured and treated again in hospital.
John Thompson received the Military Medal for his involvement in the capture of Lihons in France. The aim of this battle was to capture the high ground and woods of the area which was heavily defended by the Germans. The success led to the continued momentum of the Allied forces and eventually a German retreat. His courage was stated in the below article:
'For conspicuous and gallant conduct at Lihons on 11th August 1918, Private Thompson volunteered to go on a reconnaissance patrol 600 yards into a wood with a party of his platoon. They found an enemy post which they attacked with bombs and running out of bombs he returned to his lines for a fresh supply and in the face of strong opposition from rifle fire and grenades again bombed the post inflicting casualties and causing the enemy to retire from the post from which he was sniping on our line.'
At the conclusion of the war and after many months in England, John Henry Charles Thomspon returned to Australia on the August 9, 1919. His life after the war was mainly unknown other than his date of death on the 1st of November 1974.