The Thompson Family

Gordon Kingsley Thompson

Birth: 1883 in Pontypridd district, Glamorganshire, Wales

Married: Daisy Miriam Ruth Hartrick in 1906 in Perth district, Western Australia, Australia

Children:
Notes: Gordon served and died in World War I. He enlisted on 21 January 1915 and his unit embarked from Sydney on 8 February 1915 aboard the HMAT A1 Hymettus. At the time of enlistment Gordon was a 2nd lieutenant in the 38th Battalion of the Australian Field Artillery. Gordon reached the rank of captain in the 1st Division Artillery. His address at enlistment was 44 Hampton Road, Fremantle, Western Australia and his next of kin as Mrs Daisy M. R. Thompson of the same address. His age at embarkation was 31.

Death: 19 July 1916, killed in action, in France, aged 33
The West Australian (Perth, Western Australia) 2 August 1916 p1
    KILLED IN ACTION.
THOMPSON.—Killed in action on July 20, Captain Gordon K. Thompson, beloved husband of Daisy M. R., father of George and Victor, 44 Hampton-road, Fremantle, aged 33.

Y Farm Military Cemetery
Y Farm Military Cemetery in Bois-Grenier, France, where Gordon Thompson is buried
photo from ww1cemeteries.com
Buried: Y Farm military cemetery, Bois-Grenier, Nord, France. His grave is located in Row C, number 29. His name is also memorialised on the Australian War Memorial panel 19, in Campbell, ACT.

Addresses:
1915: 44 Hampton Road, Fremantle, Western Australia   (World War I Nominal Roll)

Sources:

Vernon George Thompson

Vernon George Thompson
Vernon George Thompson
photo from The Speculum November 1928 p106
Birth: 1906 in Perth district, Western Australia, Australia

Father: Gordon Kingsley Thompson

Mother: Daisy Miriam Ruth (Hartrick) Thompson

Education: Perth Modern School and Ormond College, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia where Vernon was a medical student.

Death: 31 August 1928 in a Chelmer Private Hospital, St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, aged 22
The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria) 1 September 1928 p13
THOMPSON.—On the 31st August, at a private hospital, St. Kilda road, Melbourne, Vernon George, of Ormond College, Melbourne, son of the late Captain Thompson and Mrs. Mumford, of Fremantle, Western Australia, aged 22 years.

 The West Australian (Perth, Western Australia) 4 September 1928 p1
THOMPSON.—On August 31, 1928, at Melbourne, Vernon George Thompson, dearly beloved elder son of Mrs. E. Mumford, East Fremantle, and the late Captain G. K. Thompson, also beloved nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Norgard, Victoria Park; aged 22.

Obituary:
The Speculum (The Journal of the Melbourne Medical Students' Society) November 1928 p106
      OBITUARY.
Mr V. G. Thompson.
  On August 31st, 1928, at Chelmer Private Hospital, there occurred the death of Mr Vernon George Thompson, of Perth, Western Australia. Mr. Thompson was a fifth year student of the Melbourne Hospital and a popular member of the M.S.S.
  He was educated at the Perth Modern School, from which he gained a Government Exhibition for five years' University study. Having been an undergraduate of the University of Western Australia for one year, he joined this School, and during his four years' study here he was a friend to all who knew him.
  Mr. Thompson was a student of Ormond College, where he was prominent in the sphere of tennis and all social activities connected with the college.
  He was keen on rifle shooting, and shot successfully in both W.A. and Victoria. For a time he acted as Hon. Secretary of the M.U. Rifle Club.
  We deeply regret the loss of one whose career showed so much promise and extend our sympathy to his mother, Mrs. Mumford, of Fremantle, Western Australia.

Sources:

Victor Kingsley Thompson

Birth: 11 October 1910 in Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia

Father: Gordon Kingsley Thompson

Mother: Daisy Miriam Ruth (Hartrick) Thompson

Notes: Victor served in World War II, reaching the rank of flight sergeant in the Royal Australian Air Force. He enlisted on 13 March 1939 in Laverton, Victoria at which time he was resident in Claremont and his next of kin was Daisy Mumford. Victor was discharged on 14 August 1946 at which time he was posted at the 14 Aircraft Repair Depot.

While he was in the air force, Victor was involved in a lawsuit over his eligibility to vote in the air base's district as opposed to where he was resident before enlistment.
Geraldton Guardian and Express (Western Australia) 22 November 1941 p1
       ENROLMENT REFUSED
    AN AIRMAN'S CLAIM
    AN INTERESTING DECISION
  In the Geraldton Court of Petty Sessions yesterday before the acting resident magistrate (Mr. T. H. Hannah), the appeal was heard of Sergeant Victor Kingsley Thompson, of the Geraldton R.A.A.F. Service Flying Training School against the objection to his name appearing on the Geraldton roll for the Legislative Assembly.
  Alan B. Rutherford, electoral registrar for the Geraldton Legislative Assembly district, said that on October 1st he received a claim card for the Geraldton Legislative Assembly district from Victor Kingsley Thompson, who had given his address as the R.A.A.F. Station, Geraldton. On the same date he returned the card to Thompson with a covering letter explaining that for the purposes of enrolment members of His Majesty's forces were considered to be still residing at the place of living which they occupied prior to enlistment. It was further explained that his enrolment for his previous place of abode would, therefore, be protected. If, however, the claimant was living privately in Geraldton. then such private address should be given on the claim card. Thompson returned the card requiring his name entered on the roll. He explained that he had definitely abandoned his former place of abode at Clarement. He enrolled Thompson and advised the Chief Electoral Officer. He received a reply from the Chief Electoral Office instructing witness to object to Thompson's enrolment. He advised Thompson of the objection and supplied him with a copy of the Chief Electoral Officer's letter. Notice of appeal against the objection was filed on November 12th, when Thompson supplied the grounds for his appeal. Witness had been instructed to object to the enrolment under Section 2 of the Franchise Act, the relevant sections of which read as follows: "(1) Any elector whose name is on the roll for an electoral district and who is on active service with His Majesty's naval or military forces shall during such service be deemed to continue to live in the electoral district for which he was enrolled as an elector at the commencement of such service. (2) Any person on active service with His Majesty's naval or military forces who is qualified for enrolment as an elector in an electoral district shall, if he claims to be enrolled as an elector, be enrolled for the electoral district in which be lived immediately prior to the commencement of such service, and shall during such service be deemed to continue to live in such district." The Solicitor-General had ruled that where a soldier at the date of enlistment had a fixed place of abode, the going into camp was not such a change as to justify the transfer of his name from one electoral district to another. Thompson was already enrolled in respect to his place of abode (No. 7. Vaclause Street, Claremont) and such enrolment was protected by virtue of the provisions of the Franchise Act.
  John Alexander Redwell. L.A.C., fitter, of the Geraldton R.A.A.F. Service Flying Training School, produced an authority to appear for Thompson, who was not in court. He said that Thompson had stated that he had abandoned his former place of abode in Claremont, and it was not his intention to return there. He then claimed enrolment in the Geraldton electoral district. The act quoted in respect to the objection of the enrolment had been proclaimed in 1916, and it dealt specifically with members of the naval and military forces. It had no application to the personnel of the air force. He had a letter, which the Chief Electoral Officer had addressed to Thompson in which if was admitted that the act gave no definition of the words "active service" and that the conditions to-day varied greatly from those which prevailed in 1916. The officer had further stated that the change into a military camp was not such as to justify change in electoral enrolment, unless the claimant had previously abandoned his usual place of abode. The inference from this statement was that if a claimant first abandoned his place of abode, then he could successfully claim a change in his enrolment. The ruling of the Solicitor-General failed to apply because the act on which he had based his judgment made no special provision for the air force. The legislature realised the analogous position which had arisen and prepared another Bill, which was recently before Parliament, but which had been rejected in the Legislative Council. In this Bill mention was made of the air force. He submitted a copy of this Bill as proof of the fact that it was recognised that the 1916 Act did not provide for air force personnel. Another anomaly in respect to the matter might be pointed out. Thompson had been enrolled in the local electoral sub-division for the Commonwealth Parliament and the authorities in this instance had accepted his address at the R.A.A.F. Station, Geraldton. He claimed that the Franshice Act could not be held to apply in this case and he asked the magistrate to overrule the objection of the Chief Electoral Officer. If the appeal were not upheld Thompson would be compelled by law to vote in an electoral district in which he held no interest, a state of affairs which was at least contrary to the spirit of their democracy. The interpretation to be placed on the ruling of the Solicitor- General was such that a member of the services would be prevented from standing for Parliament in the district in which he was residing.
  The Magistrate: You need not be residing in an electoral district to stand for Parliament for such district. Provision is made for that in another Act. You, however, become, automatically enrolled in the district for which you are elected. This district, for instance, is represented by a member who does not reside in it.
  After further brief discussion the magistrate said that he proposed to uphold the objection to the enrolment of Thompson's name by the Chief Electoral Officer. He felt that the Act was intended to apply to the personnel of the air force. Members of the air force were liable to transfer at any time, and they would then have more interest in the district in which they were then stationed than Geraldton. The air force might be regarded as a branch of both the army and the navy. He instructed that Thompson's name be struck off the roll.
  Mr. Redwell : Can I appeal to another court against this decision?
  The Magistrate: That is a matter on which I cannot advise you. Your best plan would be to seek legal advice.

The ruling was appealed, but was upheld (Geraldton Guardian and Express (Western Australia) 3 January 1942 p3).

Death: 15 June 2001, in Cottesloe, Western Australia, Australia, aged 90

Cremation: Victor's remains were buried in the family grave in the Anglican section of the Karrakatta cemetery, Karrakatta, Western Australia, Australia. The grave is located in section IC gravesite 0107.

Sources:
Return to Chris Gosnell's Home Page

If you have any comments, additions or modifications to the information on this page, please feel free to email me.
Created and maintained by: chris@ocotilloroad.com