English Māori Ian Madill Thomson Born 3 July 1914 - Died 7 December 1943 PDF Key details Service number20438 AWMM Also known as Armed force / branchArmy AWMM Last rankMajor/Military AWMM 24 Infantry Battalion AWMM WarWorld War II, 1939-1945 AWMM Enquire Lay a poppy Portrait The Weekly News; 12 January 1944. - This image may be subject to copyright View gallery Hide sources Show empty fields Identity About Contribute › Title ForenamesIan Madill AWMM SurnameThomson AWMM Ingoa Also known as Service number20438 AWMM GenderMale AWMM Iwi Hapū Waka Rohe Religion Images and documents Images Contribute › Report › Report › Report › Documents Contribute › Civilian life About birth Contribute › Birth3 July 1914 AWMM Auckland, New Zealand AWMM Date of birth Place of birth Birth notes Address before enlistmentPre 3 November 1939 AWMM East Street, Taumarunui, New Zealand AWMM Post war occupation Next of kin on embarkationMr J.A. Thomson (father), 10 Paice Avenue, Dominion Road, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM Relationship statusPre 28 October 1940 AWMM Single AWMM Service Wars and conflicts Contribute › WarWorld War II, 1939-1945 AWMM CampaignPacific AWMM Libya AWMM Sinai & Palestine AWMM Italy AWMM North Africa AWMM Armed force / branchArmy AWMM Service number20438 AWMM Military service21 Infantry Battalion AWMM Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers Military decorations Contribute › Medals and Awards1939-1945 Star AWMM Africa Star (8th Army clasp) AWMM Italy Star AWMM Defence Medal AWMM War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM Training and Enlistment Contribute › Military training Branch Trade Proficiency EnlistmentWW2 3 November 1939 AWMM Accountant/Civilian AWMM Occupation before enlistment Age on enlistment Embarkations Contribute › Embarkation detailsWW2 Vessel was Rangatira AWMM Second Lieutenant AWMM 29 Infantry Battalion AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM Prisoner of war Contribute › Capture details Days interned Liberation date Liberation Repatriation POW liberation details POW serial number Medical history Contribute › Medical notesHospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM Wounded in fighting at El Mreir, Egypt, on 15 July 1942. AWMM Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM Last known rank Contribute › Last rankMajor/Military AWMM 24 Infantry Battalion AWMM Biographical information Biographical information Contribute › Ian Thomson was the son of John Alex Thomson and of Margaret Anne Thomson (nee Madill) of Auckland.Wounded in fighting at El Mreir on 15 July 1942. He recorded in his diary that he was wounded and taken out 1500 hrs with the Company Commander and 4 men of his unit to the Advanced Dressing Station and from there to No. 1 British General Hospital before moving to No. 2 New Zealand General. In all he spent three months recovering. "During the time Abbott was away [at Headquarters 4 Brigade seeking permission to move C Company to where the remainder of the battalion was dug in] Captain Wallace realised that his party was in the centre of a minefield and thought it advisable to move further forward. Some trenches were located in a small wadi about 400 yards ahead and, with enemy shells exploding the mines around them, he ordered an advance into the shelter of the wadi. Both Wallace and Lieutenant Thomson were wounded in helping some half-buried men out of a trench...' (21 Battalion Official History, p. 180.)He died in the fighting that took place in Castelfrentano in December 1943 which was part of the battle taking place around the Sangro river area in the Eighth Army's move up the Adriatic coast of Italy. Intense and bitter fighting marked this stage of the campaign as the Germans strove to hold what was known as their 'Winter Line'.Major Thomson had taken over B Company of 24 Battalion by the time they reached Italy in early October. The action in which he died was part of a move by 5 and 6 Brigades towards Orsogna. From 2 December C Company had occupied the most advanced position closest to Orsogna. On 7 December about 1 pm B Company joined them. An attack was to begin later that afternoon. Once the bombardment began the two companies, lead by Majors Thomson and Clarke, moved forward under concentrated shell and mortar fire. 'About three o'clock a shellburst killed Major Thomson... close by the Pink House on the town's outskirts'. Major Clarke was wounded in the same action and died as a result. Both are buried at Sangro River Cemetery.The Auckland Museum Library's manuscripts collection holds a typed transcript of Thomson's war diary. It covers a period from 2 September 1939 until 22 November 1943, approximately two weeks before he died, and contains details of his training, units, leave and promotions as well as references to other officers, including the E.S. Clarke referred to above. [Ref. MS 2002/152] AWMM Read more Death About death Contribute › Death7 December 1943 AWMM Age 29 AWMM Castelfrentano, Italy AWMM Date of death Age at death Place of death Cause of deathKilled in Action AWMM Death notes CemeterySangro River War Cemetery, Italy AWMM Plot XVI, Row C, Grave 20 AWMM Cemetery name Grave reference ObituaryReported wounded: New Zealand Herald 30 July 1942Reported killed in action: New Zealand Herald 22 December 1943 AWMM Memorial name Memorial reference Memorials Memorial Contribute › Memorial nameAuckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM Mount Albert Grammar School, Alberton Ave, Mount Albert Auckland 1025 AWMM Taumarunui War Memorial Hall, Hakiaha Street, Taumarunui, King Country, New Zealand. Public - Ian Banks - Researcher - 2 December 2020 - research Roll of Honour Remember Ian Madill Thomson by laying a poppy. Ian Ferguson Thomson Ian Jesse Thomson Ian Madill Thomson Ian Melville Thomson Ian Raymond William Robert Thomson Lay a poppy for 2021 Leave a note Leave a tribute or memory of Ian Madill Thomson Leave a note Contribute › Processing Related objects Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945 Library / Pictorial › manuscripts and archives MS-1993-139 Sources Sources Contribute › External linksBurdon, R. (1959). 24 Battalion. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-24Ba.html Sources Used New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-006809.html Further Reference Commonwealth War Graves Commission record https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2215062 Sources Used DocumentsAuckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139. AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 3 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1940 to 31st March, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM WW2 3: WW2 473 AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 4 (Embarkations from 1st April, 1941 to 30 June, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM WW2 4: WW2 350 AWMM Thomson, Ian Madill. War diary, 1939 - 1943. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2002/152. AWMM Burdon, R. (1959). 24 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM Burdon, R. (1959)., especially pages 207-215,105-111 AWMM The New Zealand Herald AWMM New Zealand Herald 5A 23 December 1943 AWMM Phillips, F.L., & Gilmour, H.R. (1980). The Twentyfourth New Zealand Infantry Battalion : a pictorial history. Auckland, N.Z.: Richards Publishing and Phillips and Gilmour. AWMM The New Zealand Herald AWMM Reported wounded: New Zealand Herald 30 July 1942 AWMM The New Zealand Herald AWMM Reported killed in action: New Zealand Herald 22 December 1943 AWMM 21 Battalion (Official history of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939-45) AWMM Burdon, R. (1959). 24 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM Information kindly provided by family AWMM Contributors Processing Command item Command item Add new record Refresh DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact 02 December 2020Ian BanksTaumarunui New ZealandResearcher The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided. Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License