In Chapelle-d’Armentieres Old Military Cemetery, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of 7/1539 Private George Thompson, serving with the 1st/7th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who died 16/09/1915.

The son of Thomas and Annie Thompson, of Plantation House, Wooler, Northumberland.

Janet Rice has submitted the following:

George was born in Longhoughton in 1893, the oldest of the seven children of Thomas (a rabbit catcher) and Annie. In 1911 the family were living at Plantation House, West Lilburn, where both George and his father were rabbit catchers. By 1914 George was a gamekeeper working for Mr. A B Collingwood Esq. of Plantain House, Lilburn. He was a territorial and would be promptly called up, his shooting skills being in demand.

The Berwick Advertiser 24/09/1915 published two letters received by the family following his death, the first being from George’s commanding officer, the second from one of his Wooler pals:
” . . . He was shot by a German sniper and died at once suffering absolutely no pain . . . He is to be buried tonight at Chapelle D’Armentiers, and his friends, L/C J Dixon and L/C McQueen have got all his personal belongings which will be forwarded to you tomorrow.”

The letter from James Dixon was much more personal:
” . . .I thought it my duty to write and assure you of the heartfelt sympathy of the entire Company, and of the Wooler boys in particular . . . He accounted for more Germans than any man in this Battalion . . .He was just a big, lovable, fearless, cheerful boy . . . What makes us feel it more is that he came through our terrible time in the Ypres district without a scratch . . .”

George Thompson is remembered in Eglingham on E18.01, in Wooler on W68.01 and W68.06 and in the Battalion History.