James A Thomson, German South West Africa

[DoubleD]

As is often the case, this is a roundabout way of finding information. I am looking for information on the 168 former pupils and staff of Perth Academy who fell in the Great War.

The person I am looking for is John Shearer Thomson, Royal Scots, who was KIA in Gallipoli on 4th June 1915. His brother, James A Thomson, is listed on the Roll of Honour in the school magazine of Christmas 1914, but the only information given is that he was serving in German South West Africa. There is also an obituary for John, in the Stonehaven Journal 1915, which also states that James was a prisoner in the hands of the Germans. James did survive the war, and returned to live in Birmingham, where he died in the 1930's.

I have some family information, and a family photograph, which unfortunately isn't labelled. The young man in the centre of the photograph can only be John or James Thomson, so I am hoping that by a process of elimination I can find out if I actually have a picture of John to add to his biography in the memorial book being produced by the school.

I have searched the archives in Perth, and contacted the library archives in Stonehaven, and Birmingham. I have also contacted the family descendants, who live in South Africa, but all without success.

My final problem is my lack of technical ability in attaching the files to this post (the files are always too big). If anyone is able to offer any advice at all, could they send me a PM, with their email address, so that I can forward the files to them?

i know this is a long shot, but the forum has come up trumps in the past, and it is always worth asking, you just never know what you might find.

Many thanks in advance.

Yours hopefully,

Dave

[IPT]

13th October 1916 - Dundee Evening Telegraph

 

[DoubleD]

IPT, Many thanks.

Certainly clears up the link with Birmingham, which is totally wrong!

Depending on when he went to South Africa, and when the photograph was taken, it may rule him out of being the brother in the family photo. Bit more digging to do, but you have certainly pointed me in the right direction.

Thanks very much for your help.

Dave

[IPT]

Another brother was George H Thomson, Duke of Cambridge's Hussars.

[DoubleD]

Thanks again IPT.

Dave

[corisande]

Glasgow Herald 30th June 1915)
"Killed in action at the Dardanelles, Private John S. Thomson, aged 30 years, Signaller 1999 1-5 Battalion Royal Scots, second son of John J. Thomson, Munross, Stonehaven."

 

See also your own thread

 

 

[corisande]

You can get the family in 1891 census at 9 Windsor Pl , Kelvinside. If George H is a brother he must have been born after 1891

 

John J Thomson	36
Sarah Thomson	33
James A Thomson	9
Maria J Thomson	8
Frances E Thomson	7
John S Thomson	5
Sophia J Thomson	4
Winifred G Thomson	2

 

You should be able to get his birth off Scotlands people, which will give you his full name as well

[rolt968]

James Alexander Thomson, born 04 Sep 1881, Dennistoun, Glasgow. Son of John Joseph Thomson and Sarah Shearer (Thomson). Select Scottish Births and Baptisms on ancestry.

He does not seem to be on the Stonehaven War Memorial - his brother is.

Roger M

[DoubleD]

Many thanks to corisande and Roger M.

In brief, I have a photograph of the Thomson family, which isn't labelled. The young man in the centre of the photo can only be James or John Thomson, but I don't know which.

I also have other bits and pieces of information (most of it provided by forum pals) and it might be easier for people to make sense of it if I could share it all with them. Unfortunately, I lack the technical expertise to save the files in a format which will allow me to add it to my post. Basically I get a message that the file is too big.

I am also pretty sure that there will be forum pals who have more experience, and better powers of deduction, than I do, who might be able to look at the facts, and establish which one of the brothers is in the photo. Of course, it could well be that there just isn't enough information to establish this, and so be it. But you have to try don't you?

I would be very grateful if someone with the expertise to attach the information to a post would be prepared to PM me with their email address, and I could send them the files by email, so that they could post it for me.

 

Thanks again to everyone for the information I have been given so far. The final piece of the jigsaw would be the identity of the brother in the photo.

Dave

 

 

[rolt968]

Dave

If it is a family photo. Do you have full list of siblings? I have found seven of whom James Alexander was the eldest. There were then two sisters.

Roger M

[DoubleD]

Announcements and news - Posting Attachments has just become a lot easier.

 

Ya beauty! I don't know if this will work, or how clear the images will be, but at least I am able to attach them to this post.

However, it will only let me attach three images, so I will have to do another post to attach the fourth one.

Here's hoping someone with the powers of deduction of Sherlock Holmes can help to unravel the mystery of the person in the photograph. Hopefully the family group will be along shortly.

 

Dave

[DoubleD]

Final image.

Dave

[rolt968]

Hello Dave

Those are the seven siblings I have. I am glad that you have an accurate family tree (from the family?). There is an inordinate amount of inaccurate material about the family in trees on ancestry.

 

Can you identify the two ladies in the picture from the other family photos. The young man seems to be visibly younger than both.

 

There are people who can date photos from the clothes worn by the people in them. I'm not very good at it. I think (vaguely) that it is Edwardian or very early Georgian (up to 1914).

 

Do you have a date for James's going to South Africa? I have been trying - a large number of James Thomsons and J Thomsons sailed to South Africa in the 1900s!

 

Another odd thought - do we know where the photo was taken?

 

Roger M

 

[DoubleD]

Hi Roger,

 

I'm afraid the only thing I am certain of from the other family photos is that it isn't George Howard, who had fair wavy hair.

 

I have looked at the photos of the girls until I have spots in front of my eyes, but can't be sure who they are. James is the oldest, so if the chap in the centre of the photo IS younger than the girls it can only be John. Can't really prove it either way though.

 

Don't have any clue when James travelled to South Africa either. Someone else has had a look for me, and there is a J Thomson, a joiner, from Scotland, who travelled to Algoa Bay, South Africa, in March 1902, aged 21. The age does just about fit, so it could be James, but the family background doesn't suggest him being a joiner, although it can't be ruled out. Mind you, who knows  what occupation would have prepared him for Ostrich Farming! If it is him, AND the photo was taken after 1902, it is unlikely to be him in the photo.

 

Sorry, no idea where the photo was taken either, it was part of the information on genie which was sent to me by someone else. There are descendants in South Africa, but they have not responded to any requests for assistance.

 

Probably still too many ifs and buts at the moment I think.

 

Cheers,

Dave