Niall Thomson, No3 Cdo & Achnacarry instructor.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 31/10/2010 01:53:15

My name is Jack Bakker and I am living in the south-west of Holland. In november 2007 I left the Army as a captain after 38 years of service. Most of those years I served with the Dutch Commandos. In February 1995 we had the final exercise of the Commando Course in Scotland. In the preparations for that exercise, which took us to Achnacarry amongst other places, we came in contact with Mr. Alex Ferguson, than the owner of the Spean Bridge Hotel. He brought us in contact with a man I shall never forget as he made a big impression on me: Niall Thomson from Tain.
As Niall had been an instructor at Achnacarry during the war, he was our guide and guest. He showed us around and told a lot about those times. After our return to Holland I had some correspondance with Niall. But as is often the case this stopped I am sorry to say. Last year I was sorry to read on a website that Niall had passed away in 1997.
From that time on I am trying to get to know more about him, but that seems to be nearly impossible in one way or another. I have sent e-mails to several people in Tain, posted a message on the website of Tain, even sent a letter to the address of Niall which he had in 1995. I am in mail contact with Margaret Short of the Spean Bridge Hotel who has forwarded my mails to the local newspaper, all to no avail. I am correspondig with major James Dunning, who brought me in contact with Ron Youngman of the Commando Benevolent Fund. He gave me the address of the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow, and some details about Niall. The Army Personnel Centre sent me a bunch of papers to fill in with data about Niall I can never get my hands on as I am not a relative.
The information about Niall which I got from Mr. Youngman is: he was an instructor at Achnacarry before he joined No. 3 Commando; date of transfer to No. 3 is 26th June 1944 (James Dunning, who knew Niall from Achnacarry, told me that Niall stayed with No. 3 from that time uintill 1945); his parent regiment was the Royal Artillery; his rank was luitenant; his service number was 19434; he died on 28/7/97; he has an daughter living in Scotland, but Mr. Youngman does not know her address or name.

I am trying to get in contact with people who know more about Niall and/or relatives of him, so that I can get to know him better. I also have pictures of him taken during our stay in Scotland. I would like his relatives to have those pictures as a memory of him. My question is: can anyone help me in any way? Thank you for reading my post and I am looking forward to your reply.

With kind regards,

Jack Bakker

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 02/05/2009 21:14:31

Hi Jack

In addition to my pm that I sent I found this site which mentions the late Captain Nial Thomson ( note the slight variation in spelling of his name to that in your message) as being the advisor on the original Commando Speed Marches. Another avenue for you to try. I hope some of the other members of the CVA might have some more precise information for you.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/RAFkinloss/newsweather/index.cfm?storyid=3788E514-1143-EC82-2EC484BECD3CC408

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 02/05/2009 21:56:37

Jack

I would try Mr Alex Ferguson

Moderator wrote: Addresses removed and forwarded by PM

I will be over at Vlissingen in November as it is the 65th aniversary of my Dad Gunner Bill Harvey of No4 Commando being killed in action liberating Flushing.

Let me know how you get on.

Bill Harvey

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 02/05/2009 21:59:23

Hi Pete,

Thank you for your swift reply!

The Captain Nial(l) Thomson on the site you mention is the one!
In 1995 we did the speed march as mentioned on that site with our commando course, with Nial as an observer. He addressed the course in front of the Spean Bridge rail way station, after which we startede the speed march. It was done in weather conditions that would make Scotland really proud! At the gates of Achnacarry the course was presented to a very proud Neil, and there he presented the Officer Commanding the course with a very nice plaque which is now in the office of the Commanding Officer of the Dutch Commandos. I have a photo of that presentation, as well as others of him which I took during our stay.
On the site http://www.abmp.org.uk/ there is a button called Commando March. There I found the message that Neil had passed away in 1997.

Thanks again for you reply!

Bill!

Thanks for your reply!

Last week I talked to an old mate of mine about my search for information on Nial Thomson. He told me that he had been to the Spean Bridge Hotel a couple of years ago and they couldn't tell where Mr Alex Ferguson went. And you come up with an address or two. Really great and thanks a million!

I might be very much mistaken, but I have a feeling that we will meet each other in Vlissingen in November. I live about an hours drive from there. Tell me when you will be there and we will link up!

I will let you know how I will get on.

Jack

I wonder if Niall is in this picture in our gallery of Officers and instructors at Achnacarry :

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/Commando+Training/Commando+officers+and+instructors+outside+of+Achnacarry+_Colonel+Vaughan+seated_+center-front_.jpg.html

Pete,

I have found the same picture on a site (can't remember which one) with the names of the officers on it. Niall is not among them. The man on the extreme right of the front row of the picture you posted is James Dunning.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 03/05/2009 21:54:32

I have just seen an edit on the Achnacarry photo I posted placed by Janet. I can now see that this photo was posted in a previous forum message and it didn't make it to the gallery. It has all the names and the man at the side who is missing in my photo. So I have posted it in the gallery alongside with the list of names in a separate photo for clarity.

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/Commando+Training/

To see Bob and Janets original message on the forum go to:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/542.page

Ps. I do like Bob's sense of humour here as regards the spaniel. We miss you Bob.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 08/05/2009 11:17:16

My thanks to Jack Bakker for sending me some photos of Niall Thomson, and the officers, instructors, and recruits from the Dutch Elementaire Commando Opleiding, Korps Commandotroepen, when attending the Commando Speed March at Achnacarry on 21st February 1995. They can now be seen in the gallery. here is a link:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/Commando+Gatherings+pre+CVA/Misc/Commando+Speed+March/

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 10/06/2009 16:25:32

On May the 2nd I posted a message asking for information about Niall Thomson. Following is an update on how things went from that moment. Thanks for that good idea Geoff!

First of all I got a message from Pete with the suggestion to send a mail to the Registration Office of Tain, the town where Niall lived. I have sent the mail, but I haven't got a reply yet. Not your fault Pete!

Bill Harvey sent me two addresses, one of which could be the address of Mr. Alex Ferguson, the owner of the Spean Bridge Hotel back in 1995, the year I met Niall. To be honest, I haven't tried them yet as things went very fast at a certain moment, because I was sent a message by Jennifer (Jennie) Barlow. Sorry Bill, but I promise I will send a letter to the addresses you supplied!

Jennie Barlow lives in London and meets Stan Scott (Scotty) on a regular basis. Jennie has put my messages through to Scotty who was in No. 3 Commando and in the same troop as Niall was in. I sent Jennie a lot of questions which were kindly answered by Scotty. His answers gave me more information on Niall than that I could have hoped for to get somewhere else! In his book "Fighting with the Commandos" he talks about Niall as well. I suggest you all buy the book as it a very good read!! From the photo gallery I printed Scotties picture and put it on the first page of the book. His look on the picture in a way orders you to start reading and don't you dare to stop!

At the same time I received a message from the son-in-law of Scotty, Terry Swoffer, and he offered his help as well. He gave Scotty my messages and the photos of Niall which I sent. Telephone numbers and addresses have been exchanged and it looks like I am going to London sometime this year to have a "link up" with Scotty and Jennie.

All this happened after I became a member of this forum. Yes, you are all very right: I should have done that much earlier, but there you are.

Thanks to everyone who assisted me in my search, which is still going on. My special thanks go to Scotty for kindly answering my questions. I am sure that we will meet!

My extra special thanks to Jennie Barlow for all the work she has done for me so far and still is doing! Sorry gents, I have a weakness for women!

If and when there are more developments, I will let you know!

Jack

I have sent you an email with all the Thomson telephone numbers in Tain.

Happy hunting.

Bill Harvey

Jack

I bumped into Alex Ferguson today and he has given me address and telephone number of May.

I have sent them to you by email.

Bill Harvey

Bill,

Thank you for the telephone numbers! Is May the person of whom I think and hope she will be? Looking forward to your mail. Thanks a lot!

Jack

Jack

May is one of his two daughters.

Bill

Bill,

Thanks a lot!! This really is very good news. I knew he had one daugther, but not that he had two. The jigsaw is coming together. Wonderfull!

Jack