Alexander John Thomson
Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery 113th Bde
Died 21st March 1918
Gunner A. J. Thomson – R.F.A
This is likely to be Alexander John Thomson of the Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery 113 Bde. (no. 192592). He was born at Glassel on 6 August 1896 to John and Mary Jane Thomson, who married at Fyvie in 1895 and farmed at Strath, Campfield, Glassel.
In 1901 he was the eldest of their three children, having a younger brother and sister. The 1911 census records him at age 14 working on the farm, now with three younger siblings. He gave his residence as Banchory when he joined up.
The Royal Horse Artillery provided artillery cover for the cavalry, using light mobile guns. The Royal Field Artillery provided artillery support for the infantry using medium calibre guns and howitzers drawn by horses. Their field of operations was necessarily close to the front line.
Gunner Thomson was 21 years of age when he died of wounds on 21 March 1918. Co-incidentally or not, this date marked the launch of the German Spring Offensive and the biggest artillery bombardment of the First World War. It seems a reasonable conjecture that he fell in the course of Allied resistance to the German advance at that time. He is buried/commemorated at Grevillers British cemetery.
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War
Registers of births and marriages
Census 1901 and 1911
Online sources re Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery