Thompson J A M Lt 10th Canadian Expeditionary Force
THOMPSON, JOHN ALEXANDER MACKAY, Lieut., 10th Battn. Canadian Expeditionary Force, eldest s. of William Thomas Thompson, M.A., Sc. (McGill), M.Can. Soc. C.E., D.T.S., District Engineer, Grenfell, Saskatchewan, Canada, by his wife, Mary, eldest dau. of the late Rev. Alexander Mackay, M.A., and grandson of the late Lieut.-Col. John Hall Thompson, M.P.; b. Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, 6 Aug. 1890; educ. Qu’Appelle Schools and by tutors, afterwards by his father in Surveying and Engineering, and was acting as assistant to him when war broke out. In Dec. 1914, he was given a temporary Lieutenancy in the 16th Light Horse and, after qualifying at the Military Institute, Winnipeg, was gazetted Lieut. to the 32nd Battn. He left for England in Feb. 1915, and in April went with his company to reinforce the 10th Battn. in France, took part in the Second Battle of Ypres and was killed in the Battle of Festubert, leading his platoon in a night attack on the German position K. 5 (or Bexhill), 21 May following. He was unm., and was buried in a shell hole near K. 5. His men said that “he died like a hero, leading his men, on a rush attack right into a murderous fire,” and his commanding officer describing the attack on K. 5 wrote: “Lieut. Thompson in his quiet unassuming way led his platoon out to return no more-no better little soldier graced the 10th.” A brother officer wrote: “He was a soldier with few superiors, and a courage that knew no limits.”
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1