Captain F.C. Thompson (Indian Army) and Operation Squatter (SAS originals).

Hello. I am wondering if any of you good folks out there know the Christian names of a Captain FC Thomson from the Frontier Force Rifles, Indian Army (also referred to Major FC Thompson in one book) who was sent by GHQ/MEHQ to be an "observer" with L Detachment in August 1941? He is recorded as having jumped with Bonington's stick in Operation Squatter, been captured by the Germans, and spending the remainder of the war as a POW. Elsewhere in the relevant literature, there are occasional references to a Lieutenant Peter Thomas as one of the early officers in L detachment. I cannot trace him either. Any help from people more expert than myself would be most appreciated. Susan, NZ

 

There has been considerable coverage of Operation Squatter following the BBC drama series 'Rogue Heroes' and one of our member's father was involved, who was taken prisoner. See: First Operation of the Special Air Service (SAS) – SQUATTER

How many survived?

From: 28 August 1941: The birth of the SAS through previously unpublished photos – WW2Wrecks.com There is a poor quality B&W photo of the survivors. A better copy and a partly annotated copy are on: 1941 photograph of SAS shows The Originals men who survived Operation Squatter | Daily Mail Online

Under either surname he is not on a usually reliable website: Commandos A - Z | ͏

Now, some good news three Peter Thomas appear on: Commandos A - Z | ͏ Only glanced at them, over to you!

I also checked for either surname appearing here - as Indian Army - again no trace.

It would help if you explained what sources you have used, if only to stop duplication of effort.

I am unsure if an 'observer' would be regarded as a special forces soldier. Secondly, I expect somewhere there is a list of all those who were on the operation. Getting late, so I have not looked for him as an Indian Army officer.

A 2022 book: 'Special Forces Brothers in Arms: War in the SAS and SBS' by Eoin and Ambrose McGonigal, published by Pen & Sword and a review states:

From: https://www.dorkingu3a.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Newsletter-23-MHG-June-2022.pdf

Perhaps someone here has a copy and can look it up?

 

Thanks David - I took my information from the book by Patric McGonigal and noticed the rank and surname variants in a book by Gavin Mortimer. I similarly could not find a Thomson/Thompson/Thomas that fitted the bill on Commandos A-Z. However, records for that specific three-month period may have been sketchy. As you say, it would be odd for an "observer" sent by MEHQ to end up being a parachutist leaping into a storm with L Detachment three months later. I am hoping to find his Christian names. I will try Ancestry with some creative search terms and see what turns up. If you see this message again, any help you can offer regarding Indian Army lists would be splendid. Susan

 

Checked CWGC again for any Thomson / Thompson serving in the Indian Army / 13th Frontier Force Rifles (multi-battalion unit, some of which did serve in North Africa and Italy). Still nothing and tried all of November 1941, with commemoration or burial in Egypt.

Sorry, I am not good at searching the Indian Army Lists. I know one who is so will ask him.

 

Thanks ever so for your ongoing help. I am wondering now if Captain F C Thomson went on Operation Squatter with Bonington's stick still as an observer but ended up a PoW when the plane carrying them was shot down. The only candidate for Lt Peter Thomas I could find was Lt Peter Carmichael Thomas, who has been mentioned on this site before (182356 Lieutenant Peter Carmichael THOMAS, MiD, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment | WW2Talk). I see he was awarded the Africa Star in 1947. It seems plausible that he volunteered for the commandos, ended up in the Middle East, and spent some time with L Detachment in 1941.

 

Susan,

Curiously none of the RWK served in North Africa before Operation Torch (8-16/11/1942), From: Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment - Wikipedia

The main commando force in the Middle East / North Africa was Layforce, it had chequered history and was disbanded after July 1941. It became a smaller unit Middle East Commando and some moved to L Detachment. See as a starting point: Layforce - Wikipedia and History of the Special Air Service - Wikipedia

He is not listed on: https://www.specialforcesroh.com/

 

PS. I have just confirmed that I have the correct Lt Peter Thomas.

 

I will keep you posted on what unfolds there for completeness' sake. Just left now with the elusive Captain F C Thomson/Thompson. Thanks for the time and trouble you have taken following up.

 

Hi Susan

I guess you are looking for

Thompson, Frederic Charles
Born on the 21st November 1913
Commissioned on the 30th November 1936
Joined the Indian Army on the 18th March 1937 into 13th Frontier Force Rifles
Served in 4/13th Frontier Force Rifles
T. Captain till 6th November 1940, W.S. Captain/T. Major 7th November 1940

 

Dear Very Senior Member

Fantastic - thanks for the trouble you have gone to!

Susan

 

Added 17/3/25. Apart from the two below entries the initial research done was the wrong man! Very little found online about him. He died 5/7/1967 and Post 12 has a photo of his gravestone.

From 31/1/1936 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34251/page/670/data.pdf

From: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34409/page/3927/data.pdf

 

Hi David - thanks for this work. I was about to get back in touch to let you know I had found him. He was initially elusive until I worked out the birth year of 1918 was an error. He was born actually born in 1913, which would have thrown your research off. I have attached a photo of his gravestone here. He too married but reading between the lines, it was another wartime tragedy. Unfortunately, his other three siblings did not marry, so the chances of any descendants having a photograph are slim. However, I have contacted the children of the girl he married and will see what turns up. His gravestone suggests that he remained in the army after the war?

 

PS. David and Very Senior Member, the error on the birth date was my transcription error. Back to Lt Peter Carmichael Thomas, his son tells me he was in a commando at the right time in the Middle East and is kindly sending through his war-related documents

 

Susan,
All noted.

 

Thanks again - I will keep you posted on what turns up in a new thread - this site is fantastic for research.

 

Just following up on this one. The earliest reference I could find for the 4/13th Frontier Force Rifles in West Africa is at the Battle of Deir-ez-Zor on 3 July 1941. There are a number of news reports on this, including the following article in the Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) on Sunday 20 July 1941:

THE OCCUPATION OF DEIR-EZ-ZOR Picturesque Ceremony at Syrian Stronghold SIMLA, July 19.

"Following on the capture by Indian and British troops of the Vichy stronghold of Deir-ez-Zor in East Syria, a ceremony of considerable interest and political significance took place when, at the request of the local Syrian authorities, the commander of the British forces received formally the Governor and other Syrian officials of Deir-ez-Zor, who until the fall of the city had been serving the Vichy Government," says a dispatch just received from an Indian Army observer in Syria.

"Prompt at 11 o'clock, only a few minutes after the Vichy bombers had paid a morning visit to the British camp, the British commander set out in procession from his headquarters for the local Town Hall, the `Serial du Gouvernement Syrien,' where the City Fathers were awaiting him. Two lorries filled with Gurkha sepoys led the way, followed by the khaki-coloured staff cars of the British commander and officers, accompanying him. The procession moved slowly down the picturesque main street through crowds of enthusiastic townspeople. As it reached the `Serail,' a well-constructed building of stone standing in a pleasant garden overlooking the Euphrates, the procession passed between two lines of Syrian gendarmes, typically French in appearance in their smart 'Poilu' uniforms.

"On arrival, the British commander and other British officers were met by the Civil Governor of Deir-ez-Zor Bis Excellency Toufiq Bey Chamier. After a cordial exchange of greetings. they were conducted to the reception hall. There, coffee—a rather strange and unusual infusion tasting strongly of cloves —was served and we were treated to real French chocolates, the existence of which we had completely forgotten in the desert.

"After these formalities, the presentation of the local officials and notables began. First came the Qazi and the Mufti, along with the heads of the various religious sects. Then followed the officers of the local gendarmerie, who from the first have stuck to their posts and rendered valuable assistance to the British military authorities in maintaining law and order 'in the city. After the police came the magistrates, members of the Deir-ez-Zor Provincial Council and high officers of the municipality. These in turn were followed for over an hour by a seemingly endless procession of notables, representing every side of official and non-official life in Deir-ez-Zor.

"Each group expressed its pleasure at the occupation of the city by our forces and declared its readiness to assist the British authorities in every way. For each the British commander had a few words to say, assuring the representatives that their liberties and institutions would be respected and thanking them for their promises of co-operation."

"The local officials and townspeople appear genuinely pleased to see our forces in their country, and the excellent behaviour of the Indian troops has made a deep impression throughout the Deir-ez-Zor area."—A.P.

I searched for the term "Indian army observer" (mentioned in the first paragraph of the above article) and saw it comes up a lot. Do any of you folks know what the actual role of an 'army observer" was in WW2? Is it possible that when MEHQ sent an 'observer' to L Detachment, they selected someone experienced in that role, rather than a desk person with not enough to do at MEHQ? Would the observer have been sent because Stirling was not trusted, as has been suggested, or could he have been sent in an intelligence/media liaison role?

In the "SAS War Diary", I gather Captain F C Thompson is referred to in passing as an 'observer from MEHQ' and by Stirling as his adjutant.

 

Susan,

The phrase 'Indian army observer' appears from Google to refer to one particular individual in WW2, who was a 'self-styled' Indian army observer. Others appear to have been officers and officially present on the front line, in particular a veteran of North Africa, awarded the MC, who accompanied a Chindit column into Burma. In effect an 'observer' was reporting on the army for publication, so subject to military and other censorship.

I very much doubt ME HQ would send an observer to provide report publicly on 'L' Detachment. Not that information operations were not involved then.

More likely he was a 'military observer' trained and prepared to observe and report back directly to HQ, so not via Stirling. The phrase 'military observer' is often found in connection with UN and other peacekeeping missions post-WW2.

The advantages of having a Frontier Force Rifles officer in the role would be that he was a 'regular' soldier, with experience pre-war of active service on the frontier (with Afghanistan and the tribal areas within India) and some wartime experience, including in Syria. There were senior Indian Army officers at ME HQ and 8th Army, some in staff roles.

Whatever role he had 'observer' or adjutant with 'L' Detachment it is a pity there is so little available about him. Apply for his POW record held by the International Red Cross. See Post 16 in: 7596765 Craftsman George Stanley MITCHELL, REME: 14/11/1941, SS Scillin - Research help please

 

Thanks David - that all makes perfect sense. Is it likely that military observers filed their reports to ME HQ and that it was decided there what information to release to war journalists? I see there was also an Indian version of the LRDG, which mentions the Frontier Force Rifles (although not 4/13) and that WW2Talk already has posts about them. Good idea about the International Red Cross, I will get on to them. Thanks for the link. Susan

 

Susan,

ME HQ would decide on any release of information to the press (international) in Cairo or elsewhere, dependent on information security and what the information strategy was. Given his time with 'L' Detachment was before any operation, let alone success - apart from preparation and training - I doubt press briefing was on the agenda.

Yes, I am familiar with the Indian Long Range Squadron (ILRS) and there is a thread here. Cannot immediately recall the link to the Frontier Force Rifles.

 

Docs – Middle East 1930 - 1947 – Indian Formations - British Military History
Looks like the link was through the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade. I found another site which said the ILRS was poaching people from all over the shop. There did seem to be some sort of press strategy for "L Detachment", which has been ascribed to Dudley Clark's deception plan (I remember reading somewhere that Cecil Beaton was behind the famous footage of the training rigs and leaping from lorries). Poor Captain Thompson - he got plenty more than he bargained for when he was sent on that posting.