Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Elijah and Charlotte Thompson, late of Barleythorpe, Rutland. Elijah belonged to the Oakham Company Territorials, embarking for France early in the war. At the time of his death which took place near Arras, he was acting Sergeant Major, he was a seen as a fine specimen of a soldier, who had endured some very heavy engagements, especially at the Hohenzollern Redoubt, and he carried the highest praise both from his officers and comrades. Major Beasley wrote to his parents as follows:- “He was shot through the head in the trench by a German sniper and killed instantly. He is a great loss to me and all the company. He is one of the few left of the old Oakham Company, and from the commencement of the war had risen from Lance Corporal to acting Sergeant Major. Though so young a man, he was one I always knew I could trust and I knew his men felt the same. As soon as his death was reported I heard men saying, ‘Its always the best that go,’ or words to that effect.” He was buried in the English cemetery at Ecoivres, close to Mont-St.Eloy, France. The War Diary for today records. TRENCHES. In the sector of German trench opposite A Coy during the day a man in full marching order was seen to leave their trench, and a man was seen carried down their trench on a stretcher. A man was seen wearing a black skull cap. At 10.30pm They threw one bomb which fell short of our trench. We retaliated with two, they sent one more. Remainder of night quiet.