George Thompson
Flight Sergeant, 9 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
- Register No.
- 1212 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Flight Sergeant all Flight Sergeants →
- Unit
- 9 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (register: No. 9 Squadron RAF) all No. 9 Squadron RAF VCs →
- Date of action
- 1 January 1945 on this day → all of 1945 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 20th February 1945 on this day → all of 1945 →
- Born
- 23rd October 1920 at Trinity Gask, Perthshire, Scotland
- Died
- 23rd January 1945 in Belgium. (Died on of wounds)
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- at Brussels Town Cemetery, Evere-les-Bruxelles, Belgium
- Medal held by
- the National War Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
Digest of citation
On 1 January 1945 in an attack on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, a Lancaster bomber, after releasing its bombs, was hit by two shells and raging fire broke out. Flight Sergeant Thompson, wireless operator, seeing that both turrets were ablaze, went at once to help the two gunners to a place of relative safety, extinguishing their burning clothing with his bare hands. Then, despite his shocking state of burns and charred clothing, he went through the burning fuselage to report to the pilot. The crippled aircraft finally crash-landed, one of the gunners survived, the other Died on. Flight Sergt Thompson Died on of his injuries three weeks later
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
THOMPSON George (Reg No.1212).
Flight Sergeant 9 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve..
London Gazetted on 20th February 1945 VC Medal's Custodian is the National War Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle..
Born on 23rd October 1920 at Trinity Gask, Perthshire, Scotland.
Died on 23rd January 1945 in Belgium. (Died on of wounds).
Memorial on grave at Brussels Town Cemetery, Evere-les-Bruxelles, Belgium.
Citation reads. On 1 January 1945 in an attack on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, a Lancaster bomber, after releasing its bombs, was hit by two shells and raging fire broke out. Flight Sergeant Thompson, wireless operator, seeing that both turrets were ablaze, went at once to help the two gunners to a place of relative safety, extinguishing their burning clothing with his bare hands. Then, despite his shocking state of burns and charred clothing, he went through the burning fuselage to report to the pilot. The crippled aircraft finally crash-landed, one of the gunners survived, the other Died on. Flight Sergt Thompson Died on of his injuries three weeks later.
Castle..
Register note: Died of wounds
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Brussels Town Cemetery, Evere-les-Bruxelles, Belgium
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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