Private Thomas Thompson

Private Thomas Thompson, 23rd (4th Tyneside Scottish ) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He was killed in France on 1st July 1916, aged 35, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He was the son of John and Mary Thompson of 12 Hatters Lane, Berwick and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, Somme, France. The Tyneside Scottish Brigade ( 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions ) were tasked to attack the German positions around La Boiselle and did so in a very gallant fashion with the Battalion pipers to the fore. The first German line was captured but in the face of terrific machine gun fire and heavy casualties no more could be done that day. On that fateful day the Tyneside Scottish Brigade casualties were among the highest suffered for the period 1st-3rd July and the 23rd Battalion had the highest with 11 Officers and 178 Other Ranks killed and 7 Officers and 444 Other Ranks wounded. The first photo show troops attacking over a wide “no mans land” devoid of cover and the second  photograph shows the start of the Tyneside Brigade attack at about 7.30 a.m. with the lines neatly spaced.