The Times Archive

[rflory]

David Seymour wrote:

I have had no luck looking for 2nd Lt. E E Thompson, RGA, died 16/10/18 - apart from finding him in a list of officers died. I was hoping for an article. As for 2nd Lt Cecil Clarke Cole, RGA died 13/1017 - nothing!

2Lt Cecil Clarke Cole, RGA SR

Enlisted as a Private (#7108) in the 3rd Battalion, Artists Rifles between 7 and 17 February 1916.

Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, RGA SR on 1 December 1916

Died of wounds on 13 October 1917

Source: Artists Rifles Regimental Roll of Honour and War Record 1914-1919

2nd Lieutenant Ernest Edward Thompson, RGA

Born at East Haddon, Northampton on 17 January 1885

Educated at Northampton Town and Country School and at St. John's College, Cambridge where he took a BA and Ma degree and secured an Open Scholarship in Natural Science

Prior to the war was Headmaster at Diss Secondary School

Joined the Artists Rifles OTC in May 1917

Gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant, RGA in May 1918

Went to France and Flanders in September 1918 and served with the 228th Siege Battery, RGA

Died on 16 October 1918 from wounds received at Le Cateau and buried in Maurois British Cemetary. The history of 228 Siege Battery, RGA indicates the following: "On Oct. 16th Lieut. Thompson was killed. Five of us, the O.C., Lieutenants Thompson and Hughes (?) and two B.C.A.'s, were standing round the centre pole of a small dug-out in the bank of a sunken road near the battery. A shell exploded in the road outside and a splinter struck him in the head. He was killed instantaneously; one other was slightly wounded. The two B.C.A.'s left that evening with shell-shock.

He was unmarried.

Sources: De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, volume II; The War List of the University of Cambridge 1914-1919; "228" The History of a Siege Battery During the Great War.

Regards. Dick Flory

[johnnie]

This may seem like a silly question but I was just wondering if all deaths and reports of wounded men

appear in the Times. I have had a look for a few people and have been able to find most of them,

but others don't seem to appear. Is this becaue the search can't pick them up, or might they have not been

reported.

Jonathan

[Terry_Reeves]

Jonathon

They don't. The Times is a very limited source of information as far as this sort of thing is concerned, although if you have nothing all avenues have to be explored.

TR