| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
James was born in Beverley in Jul 1890. He was one of nine children born to James R Thompson (1866-1958) and his wife Alice (1869-1924) (nee Wiles). His parents from Bewholme and North Frodingham but they had moved to Beverley where they were married in 1886. James’ father worked as a tanner’s labourer. The family lived on Trinity Lane and later at Clark’s Place on Wilbert Lane. By the time of WWI they lived at 41 Lairgate, otherwise known as Green’s Passage. Nothing is known of James’ upbringing, but he became a farm labourer. James was unmarried.
James enlisted at Bradford on 14 Jan 1915. Drawing on horse-handling skills he joined the Army Service Corps, Horse Transport section, 37th Reserve Park. They remained in the UK until Aug 1916 when they sailed from Devonport on the SS Cestrian for Greece to take part in the Salonika Campaign. James’ 238th Horse Transport Company then moved into the mountains of northern Greece where allied forces were confronting the Bulgarians who had entered the war on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary. James served as a driver in the horse convoys bringing up supplies from the coast. He remained in this region until after the end of the war though the Bulgarians had surrendered in the autumn of 1918. Bitter winters and very hot summers brought disease and on two occasions James had been hospitalised with malaria. On 18 Dec 1918 he was admitted to 49th Stationary Hospital at Bralo suffering from influenza. His condition deteriorated and died there on 21 Jan 1919. He is buried at Bralo Military Cemetery, Greece. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals. He is commemorated on the Hengate Memorial (as “R Thompson”) but not on the East Riding Memorial in the Minster. |