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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Lorne Edgar Thompson

In memory of:

Flying Officer Lorne Edgar Thompson

December 16, 1943

Military Service

Service Number:

J/17581

Force:

Air Force

Unit:

Royal Canadian Air Force

Division:

101 Sqdn.

Additional Information

Son of William G. and Annie E. Thompson, of Toronto, Ontario.

Commemorated on Page 220 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information

Cemetery:

RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Surrey, United Kingdom

Grave Reference:

Panel 175.

Location:

During the Second World War more than 116,000 men and women of the Air Forces of the British Commonwealth gave their lives in service. More than 17,000 of these were members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, or Canadians serving with the Royal Air Force. Approximately one-third of all who died have no known grave. Of these, 20,450 are commemorated by name on the Runnymede Memorial, which is situated at Englefield Green, near Egham, 32 kilometers by road west of London.

The design of the Runnymede Memorial is original and striking. On the crest of Cooper's Hill, overlooking the Thames, a square tower dominates a cloister, in the centre of which rests the Stone of Remembrance. The cloistered walks terminate in two lookouts, one facing towards Windsor, and the other towards London Airport at Heathrow. The names of the dead are inscribed on the stone reveals of the narrow windows in the cloisters and the lookouts. They include those of 3,050 Canadian airmen. Above the three-arched entrance to the cloister is a great stone eagle with the Royal Air Force motto, Per Ardua ad Astra". On each side is the inscription:

IN THIS CLOISTER ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF TWENTY THOUSAND AIRMEN WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE. THEY DIED FOR FREEDOM IN RAID AND SORTIE OVER THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE LANDS AND SEAS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN EUROPE

In the tower a vaulted shrine, which provides a quiet place for contemplation, contains illuminated verses by Paul H. Scott."

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

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  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Telegram December 1943. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

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    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Telegram December 1943. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Telegram December 1943. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

    Details

    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Telegram December 1943. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper Clipping– The Toronto Star January 23, 1945, page 8

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    Newspaper Clipping
    Newspaper Clipping – The Toronto Star January 23, 1945, page 8
  • Newspaper Clipping– Memorialized on the pages of the Globe and Mail. Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

    Details

    Newspaper Clipping
    Newspaper Clipping – Memorialized on the pages of the Globe and Mail. Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper Clipping– Memorialized on the pages of the Globe and Mail. Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me

    Details

    Newspaper Clipping
    Newspaper Clipping – Memorialized on the pages of the Globe and Mail. Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Runnymede Memorial– F/O Thompson is one of three crew members of Lancaster DV 300, 101 (RAF) Sqn who are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial for those with no known grave. The account of the final flight of DV-300 is on www.lostbombers.co.uk OP: Berlin 16/17 December 1943. The crew had just made two trips to Berlin, on Berlin 18/19 Nov 43; Berlin 2/3 Dec 43. They were airborne 1625 on the 16th from their home base at Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire, and were shot down by a night-fighter (Pilot Oblt Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer IV/NJG1). The aircraft exploded at 1815 over the Banco Polder, and close to Lemmer, Holland, where five of the crew were buried, including the Canadian pilot F/L Ronald E. MacFarlane, DFM, age 21, from Chilliwack, B. C. F/O Thompson joined the crew as ABC operator, the 8th man on the crew. No.101 Sqn was a three-flight squadron, flying up to 24 Lancasters in the bomber stream, armed and loaded with bombs just like the other heavy bombers but with an extra crew member in each squadron aircraft to do the jamming.

    Details

    Runnymede Memorial
    Runnymede Memorial – F/O Thompson is one of three crew members of Lancaster DV 300, 101 (RAF) Sqn who are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial for those with no known grave. The account of the final flight of DV-300 is on www.lostbombers.co.uk OP: Berlin 16/17 December 1943. The crew had just made two trips to Berlin, on Berlin 18/19 Nov 43; Berlin 2/3 Dec 43. They were airborne 1625 on the 16th from their home base at Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire, and were shot down by a night-fighter (Pilot Oblt Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer IV/NJG1). The aircraft exploded at 1815 over the Banco Polder, and close to Lemmer, Holland, where five of the crew were buried, including the Canadian pilot F/L Ronald E. MacFarlane, DFM, age 21, from Chilliwack, B. C. F/O Thompson joined the crew as ABC operator, the 8th man on the crew. No.101 Sqn was a three-flight squadron, flying up to 24 Lancasters in the bomber stream, armed and loaded with bombs just like the other heavy bombers but with an extra crew member in each squadron aircraft to do the jamming.
  • Entrance

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    Entrance
    Entrance
  • Runnymede Memorial

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    Runnymede Memorial
    Runnymede Memorial
  • Runnymede Memorial

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    Runnymede Memorial
    Runnymede Memorial
  • Inscription

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    Inscription
    Inscription
  • Memorial– Flying Officer Lorne Edgar Thompson is commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Flying Officer Lorne Edgar Thompson is commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Flying Officer Lorne Edgar Thompson is commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

    Details

    Memorial
    Memorial – Flying Officer Lorne Edgar Thompson is commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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