Lieutenant-Colonel Tommy Thompson
Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders

A quick learner, quick at grasping new ideas. Very industrious and preserving; a hard quiet worker. Polite, conscientious in fulfilling obligations, helpful and considerate of other general liked. Has a well balanced and equable temperament. Has a very good knowledge of all arms and gets well in the tactical picture and makes sound appreciations and decisions.

(Final Report on Capt. Thompson, 19 Dec 1942)

Born in Winnipeg on 8 January 1921, Ernest Payson (Tommy) Thompson was a medical student at the University of Manitoba when he enlisted with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, having been a cadet of the unit as a teenager. Although regarded as too young to go overseas, the young lieutenant nevertheless joined the battalion before it embarked and arrived in England before to his twentieth birthday.

Thompson was promoted captain just prior to the Dieppe Raid of 19 August 1942, when he suffered gunshot wounds to his back and arm. By the end of the year, he had passed a company commander course, where he proved himself an ideal, promising officer:

In adm matters he seems to make decisions and handle new situations. As a leader he shows confidence, initiative and readily inspired confidence. Has a good power of comd and is very responsible and dependable. It is considered that with a little more experience he would be suitable for appt as 2 i/c of a bn.

The brief remarks of the school commandant, foreshadowed Thompson’s future: “Good leader, plenty of confidence despite his youth.”

He served as a company commander during the Normandy campaign and briefly took command of the Cameron after the death of Major Bill Ferguson on 8 August 1944 just hours after he had arrived. Thompson took over again after Lieutenant-Colonel A.S. Gregory was wounded on 28 August.

During the Battle of the Scheldt on the night of 27/28 October 1944, Thompson temporarily took over the 6th Infantry Brigade after the brigadier was wounded by a mine. For “his outstanding personal efforts under the most difficult and dangerous conditions,” he earned the Distinguished Service Order:

Throughout the day, Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson personally reconnoitered the three crossing places, which were continually under heavy shell and small arms fire, completed planning with each battalion commander and made all detailed arrangement for the night crossing.

He was personally awarded the D.S.O. by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery on 23 February 1945. Thompson was killed by a sniper three days later. He was only 24 years old and one of the youngest battalion commanders in the Canadian Army.

Lieutenant-Colonel A.A. Kennedy, former commanding officer of the Hasty Ps in Italy, arrived a week later to take over the Camerons.