John Thomson

Died on the 17/07/1916 of enteric fever in Hospital in Amara

The Battalion were in Ambala, India in August 1914 and were part of the 9th (Sirhind) Brigade in the 3rd (Lahore) Division. They moved to France via Egypt, landing at Marseilles on the 01/12/1914 (some weeks after the other Brigades of the Division). In December 1915 they moved to Mesopotamia. With increasing difficulties of replacing Indian casualties, a decision was taken to withdraw the Division from France and move it to Mesopotamia. Movement began on the 8th December 1915. Headquarters was established on the 16th January 1916 and came under orders of the Tigris Corps, but the urgency of the need to relieve the 6th (Poona) Division which was besieged at Kut-al-Amara led to the units of the Division being committed piecemeal as they arrived. It was not until mid-February 1916 until the full command structure of the Division was once again operational. The Division then remained in the Mesopotamia theatre for the rest of the war. The Division were involved in the Attack on the Dujaila Redoubt on the 8th March 1916 and the Action of Bait Aisa on the 17th - 18th April 1916 before John died of enteric fever (like his brother) in an Amara Hospital. He was previously employed with his father and brother in the Rosehall Colliery but due to ill health he joined the Coatbridge Police and was there for 8 months before enlisting. In 1933, all of the headstones were removed from the Amara War Cemetery when it was discovered that salts in the soil were causing them to deteriorate. Instead a screen wall was erected with the names of those buried in the cemetery engraved upon it. Plot XXV is a Collective Grave, the individual burial places within this are not known. John and his brother Alexander are both remembered at the Family Plot in Old Monkland Cemetery (see photos x 3) and in the St. Augustine's Parish (book) Roll of Honour. See photos for John's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 4, the CWGC Iraq Roll of Honour x 4, John's name in the CWGC Iraq Roll of Honour, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his name on the Amara War Cemetery (Screen Wall) Panel List, John's Pension Records x 7 (brother Alexander mentioned in 6) and the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge.