Sergeant John Thomson

John Thomson was the son of James and Barbara Thomson and the husband of Mary Thomson, of Newton Abbot, Devon. He enlisted in the Royal Artillery and volunteered for airborne forces.

Sergeant Thomson successfully completed his parachute training on course number 60 at RAF Ringway, from 12 to 29 April 1943. His course report stated “A good parachutist and very good NCO”. He was posted to 5 Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment and took part in Operation Market Garden (Arnhem).

Sgt Thomson was shot just after jumping out of a burning house near the Rhine Bridge at Arnhem. He died of wounds in the local Municipal Hospital, and was buried by the Reverends Daniel McGowan and Alan Buchanan in the grounds of the hospital, age 23. (Roll of Honour 5th revised edition, 2011). He was re-interred to Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery on 22 August 1945.

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