| Admitted to: POW. German Hospital, Paris (12/02/43). Frankfurt Hospital (05/43). Bad Soden Hospital (11/43). Canadian Army Hospital, Watford (16/09/44). |
Date of Injury: 04/02/1943 |
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|---|---|---|---|
| D.O.B/Age when admitted: 24 |
Cause of Incident: Enemy Action. Shot down in a Lancaster over the French Alps on return from ops over Italy. |
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| Transferred to QVH: 18/09/1944 |
Injuries: Burns to face, neck and leg. |
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| No. of Operations at East Grinstead: 7 |
IDENTITY CARD
This is to certify that the patient mentioned below and whose description is stated hereon is the authorised holder of this Identity card.
| Forename: Douglas Lyall |
Surname: Thompson |
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| Service No: J52077 |
Nationality: Canadian |
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| Awards/Honours: --- |
Patient Unit: 106 Sqn |
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| Profession: Pilot |
Patient Rank: Flt Lt |
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| Death: 27/08/1989 |
Age at Death: 69yrs |
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| Dr Rank: |
Dr Unit: |
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Thompson joined the RCAF in 1941 and trained as a pilot.
On return from a bombing mission in Italy, two of his engines were knocked out and he crashed into the French Alps. Thompson was thrown from the wreckage, and was badly burned when the plane exploded as he attempted to rescue a crewmember.
Thompson spent 20 months in a POW camp before being repatriated. He spent 16 months at QVH, mostly under the care of Ross Tilley.
We've been looking through our collections, and discovered this 1972 photograph from the East Grinstead Observer, o…