Frederick John Thompson

[John Thompson]

Hi 

I have been trying to find out about my father who was a soldier in WW1 and lived in York. I have trawled through different sites and contacted the national archives but cannot find anything. I have found 1 soldier with my dads name but cannot tally up the address. He was gassed in the war and also had a bayonet injury and during the WW2 he worked on an airfield in York painting the camouflage on the planes. At this time he met my mum who was a nurse on the airfield and used to help the wounded soldiers that came back on the halifax planes. I have tried the national archives but not had any luck. Most people write saying they are looking for grandfathers or uncles but this was my dad who was born in 1898 so if i can find any help as to what i could do i would really appreciate it.

[mancpal]

Hello and welcome. 
It would help if could post as much detail as you have, full name, DoB, siblings and parents names etc. Information supplied on this site can sometimes come from the most obscure angle so it’s a case of ‘the more the better’.

Good luck,

Simon

 

 

 

[Coldstreamer]

Who he served with would also help just in case he has a popular name like John smith 

Edited 23 August , 2022 by Coldstreamer

[Michelle Young]

I assuming surname Thompson……….we do need his full name though. 

[RaySearching]

If your father served in a theater of war as you have indicated, he should as a minimum have been awarded at least two medals 

Do the family still have them ? if so his regiment and service number will have been impressed on the rim of the medals

 

 

 

[John Thompson]

Hello

Thank you for leaving so many messages. My father’s name was Frederick john Thompson. He was born in 1898 and I know he said he lied about his age to sign up. He had a brother called Joseph George and a sister called Eleanor Jane. He lived in Acomb York. His mother was called Martha and his dad was Fred. He had a bayonet injury to his hand and he was also gassed. In WW2 he worked for Handley Pages at Clifton and Radcliffe painting camouflage on the Halifax Planes.He met my mother Ida there and she was a nurse at St.James’s but she was a civilian nurse on the airfield that tended to the airman when they came back in the Halifax planes. I don’t know his regiment and I don’t know if he had any medals as it was his second marriage. Thank you in advance for any help.

[John Thompson]

Also he was well known for the nose artwork on the planes

Also d.O.b was 28.1.1898

[Michelle Young]

There are 27 Medal Index Cards to Frederick J Thompson on Ancestry.co.uk, free access. Unfortunately, a vast amount won’t have any address on the back. 

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

John,

There is a glimmer of hope.
City of York  has Absent Voters' Lists for 1918 and 1919  and these are held in York Central Library.
Such lists were compiled, initially in the Spring of 1918 to record all voters living away from home because of military service in advance of the next General Election.The election was held in December 1918, and although the voting age for men at the time was 21, for this election, the age was lowered to 18 for men in military service.

Entries typically have a man's name, address, service number, rank, regiment (often with battalion, and sometimes with theatre of war. They are listed in the constituency by polling district, then electoral ward. In urban areas, those wards are then listed by street.

Of the AVLs I have seen, these details are all present for about 95% of men on the list.

Am I right in saying that Acomb is part of the City of York, and was so in 1918?
If it is, I can't see any reason why your father shouldn't be listed.

I can't recall if York AVL has been digitized by FMP. (Edit: No it hasn't)

If I was you, I would be hotfooting it to York Central Library first thing tomorrow.

Edited 23 August , 2022 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[RaySearching]

we have a slight problem  with the man is questions name ?

shown as John Frederick Thompson on the 1901 and 1911 census and baptism records

also shown as John Frederick Thompson in 1939

his birth however appears to  have been recorded as Frederick John Thompson!

Edited 23 August , 2022 by RaySearching

[RaySearching]

I assume this is his first marraige 

also as John Fred Thompson

address corresponds with census return

[John Thompson]

Yes that was the first marriage and also yes we have noticed how the name changes from Frederick john to John Frederick for some reason he was always known as Fred. We will try to get to the library in York at some stage but we live in Oxfordshire so will sort something out. Thank you to everyone for all your help 

[John Thompson]

We also had problems when he came to get his war pension because of the names

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

1 minute ago, John Thompson said:

We will try to get to the library in York at some stage but we live in Oxfordshire

Give them a ring, they might be able to tell you over the phone if he appears on it.

[John Thompson]

Thank you 

[John Thompson]

Have sent a message to the Library so fingers crossed thank you everyone for all your help

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Good luck!

[John Thompson]

Thank you 

[chaz]

there is a Frederick Thompson, 53631 . MGC, has a pension card with a GSW to R Hand born 1898, discharged 18.4.19 address 43 Willow Gate, Grimsby

Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Bomber Country. may have been a local posting.

[John Thompson]

Can’t tally up the address pretty sure it would have been York but thank you 

[chaz]

there was another but wounded in the buttocks, the one quoted above is the only one with a wound in the hand, born in 1898.

Interestingly he has a Silver War Badge for wounds and a Military Medal, so likelyhoods of having 3 WW1 plus a pair of WW2.  Many MM recipients did not mention the fact and only came out on remembrance days 

any mention of rank? 53631 was a Cpl.

[John Thompson]

He was a private and promoted to Sargent 

[RaySearching]

John

As the "soldier" in question is believed to have served in ww1and as he was baptised John Frederick Thompson, and appears on the 1901 and 1911 census as John Frederick Thompson and married as John Frederick Thompson it follows that if he served in ww1 he would have most likely have served as John or John Frederick Thompson  and not as Frederick Thompson

He is also shown as John Frederick Thompson on the 1939 register with his first wife

(the register later amended  to show Frederick John Thompson)

I understand that his first world war  service details (if he served in ww1) may be included on his ww2 service records I suggest as a descendent you could apply for his ww2 service records from the MOD which may provide details of any previous service he had during ww1 Unfortunately  due to Covid there is a 12 month backlog so it may take up to twelve months from applying for the service documents to receiving the documents  

hope this helps

Ray

 

Edited 25 August , 2022 by RaySearching
correction

[John Thompson]

Thank you for this but he worked for Hadley Pages in WW2 as a civilian so would he still have army records 

[RaySearching]

On 23/08/2022 at 22:27, John Thompson said:

We also had problems when he came to get his war pension because of the names

Which war pension would that be ?

As John Fred Thompson has decendents from his first marraige still living  (he is on various trees on ancestry)

it may be benefical to try and contact them they may hold the information that you are seeking

 

Ray