Thompson, John Henry (John)
Ex Private
No. 10718, King’s Liverpool Regiment
Previously, Royal Irish Rifles and Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (No. 3883)
Died of disease on Sunday 20 July 1924 (aged 50; 49 on death certificate)
Buried:
Soldierstown Graveyard
Commemorated:
Killinchy Parish Church of Ireland Church
BIOGRAPHY
The name John Thompson RIR is commemorated in Killinchy Parish Church of Ireland Church. He died on 20 July 1924 and so is not commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
John Henry Thompson was born on 21 February 1874 in Barrow-in-Furness in Lancashire and he was a son of William and Elizabeth Thompson. He had a brother named William.
In civilian life John Thompson was a foundry worker and in the 1890s had two periods of Army Service. John was serving with 4th (Special Reserve) Battalion Royal Irish Rifles when he enlisted as a regular soldier with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 21 April 1892 at Omagh. After basic training, he was posted to 2nd Battalion and was serving with 1st Battalion when he was discharged on 20 April 1904 on completion of 12 years of service. He served in India from 1894 to 1902, South Africa from1902 to 1903, and Egypt from1903 to 1904. He was awarded the India General Service Medal (1897/98) for “operations on the North-West Frontier with Tirah Expedition” and the King’s South Africa Medal with 1902 Clasp.
In 1892 John’s mother Elizabeth and brother William were living in Belfast, and he declared that his religious denomination was Church of England.
John Thompson and Rebecca Jane Brown were married on 10 January 1907 in Killinchy Presbyterian Church. John Thompson, a foundry dresser from Glasgow was a son of William Thompson, a carter. Rebecca Jane Brown from Shrigley, Killyleagh was a daughter of Alexander Brown, a labourer. They had no children.
John Thompson enlisted on 9 August 1914 at Liverpool and served during the Great War with the King’s Liverpool Regiment:
9/8/14 to 27/11/14 Home
28/11/14 to 30/4/15 France
1/5/15 to 28/6/15 Home
29/6/15 to 28/9/17 France
29/9/17 to 13/2/18 Home
Private John Thompson was admitted to the 1st Western General Hospital, Fazakerley, Liverpool and discharged from the Army on 13 February 1918, being no longer physically fit for war service – because of an aortic aneurism. He was awarded Silver War Badge No. 329009.
John Thompson died of an aortic aneurism on 20 July 1924 at his residence in Colane, Aghagallon, near Lurgan, and he was buried on 22 July in Soldierstown Graveyard located between Aghalee and Moira. At that time his brother William and sister-in-law Bella were living at 42 Matlock Street, Belfast.
There is an inscription on his headstone:
ERECTED BY
REBECCA THOMPSON
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
HER HUSBAND
PRIVATE JOHN THOMPSON
KING’S LIVERPOOL REGIMENT
WHO DIED 20 JULY 1924
In 1922 John Thompson was issued with the ‘1914 star’ service medal, but this had to be returned because, having not arrived in France until 28 November 1914, he was ineligible. Instead, he was entitled to the ‘1914-15 star’.
There is evidence that, after discharge, John Thompson lived for a time at 67 Eastland Street, Belfast, and there is also evidence that, for a time, he worked as a foreman in Harland & Wolff.