Pte
Harold Thomson

Information about birth

Year of birth:
1897
Place of birth:
Bierley, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Army information

Country:
England, United Kingdom
Force:
British Expeditionary Force
Rank:
Private
Service number:
CH/2286(S)
Enlistment date:
03/12/1915
Enlistment place:
Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom
Units:
 —  Royal Marines, 1st Bn.  (Last known unit)

Information about death

Date of death:
26/10/1917
Place of death:
Bray Farm - Haus Kirchner, Belgium
Age:
20

Memorial

Distinctions and medals 2

Points of interest 3

#1 Place of birth
#2 Enlistment place
#3 Place of death (approximate)

My story

Private Harold Thomson served with the 1st Battalion Royal Marines (188th Infantry Brigade, 63rd Royal Naval Division). This Division took part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele on the 26th of October 1917.

The Division attacked with the 188th Infantry Brigade at 5:40 a.m.. The Anson Battalion and the 1st Royal Marines were to attack the objective with the 2nd Royal Marines were in support, and the Howe Battalion in reserve. The advance took place over a sea of deep mud, the Allied bombardment on German positions over the last 48 hours had turned the terrain into a mass of shell holes, flooded with several feet of water/mud. The 1st Royal Marines, on the left of the divisional front, managed to capture all their objectives, including Berks Houses, Banff House and Bray Farm. Enfilade fire, however, had caused heavy casualties.

Once the 1st Royal Marines had consolidated their gains, the 2nd Royal Marines renewed the attack. This failed, however, due to machine-gun fire from several concrete positions and defended shell holes around Sound Farm, which prevented a major breakthrough. By this time almost all company commanders of the attacking Battalions had become casualties and at 5 p.m. a strong German counter-attack caused the 2nd Royal Marines to retreat back behind the Paddebeek. By nightfall the troops in Banff house were forced to withdraw to Berks Houses. Practically the whole of the first objective had been gained except Source Trench and Banff House, with the four assaulting battalions suffering heavy casualties. The Division held this position until it was relieved on the 27th of October.

The War Diary of the 1st Battalion Royal Marines reports that “among the rank and file” 270 casualties were reported. Private Harold Thomson was one of them. Private Thomson has no known grave and is remembered at the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Files 1

Sources 6

"Britain's Sea Soldiers : A Record of the Royal Marines during the War 1914-1919", Devonport, Swiss & Co, 1927, pg. 332-336
Sources used
"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 146-147.
Sources used
Ancestry
https://www.ancestry.com/
Sources used
CWGC
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/827623/THOMSON,%20HAROLD
Sources used
The Long, Long Trail
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/
Sources used
War Diary 1st Bn. Royal Marines
http://www.nmarchive.com/
Sources used