Corporal William J Thompson

William John Thompson was the son of William John and Sarah Thompson, of Sunderland, County Durham, he enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry and volunteered for airborne forces.

Corporal Thompson successfully completed parachute training at RAF Ringway on course number 96, from 16 to 30 December 1943. His course report stated “Hard worker, very confident, showed extreme calmness”. He was posted to C Company, 12th (10th Battalion, The Green Howards [Yorkshire Regiment]) Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, and took part in Operation Overlord (Normandy).

Cpl Thompson was killed in action on 8 July 1944, aged 30, and was buried in Ranville War Cemetery, Calvados, France.

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