THOMPSON, Thomas H

Thomas Thompson was the son of Benjamin and Leah Thompson of Old Hill. He enlisted in the Royal Navy and sent to the SS Dowlais, an armed merchant vessel of some 3,000 tons based in Cardiff. In December 1917 she was transporting copper ore from Sicily to Britain when she was torpedoed on the 3rd December off Cap de Fer, Algeria, without warning by the German submarine UB 48. She sank with the loss of all hands, 26 in number, including Ordinary Telegraphist Thomas Thompson who was 19 years of age. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial and the Tower Hill and Halesowen Memorials.