Julian Thompson (Royal Marines officer)

Julian Thompson
Major General Julian Thompson at Aldershot Military Cemetery - 18 June 2022
Born	(1934-10-07) 7 October 1934 (age 89)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Marines
Years of service	1952–1986
Rank	Major General
Commands held	3 Commando Brigade 40 Commando
Battles/wars	Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation Falklands War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Major General Julian Howard Atherden Thompson, CB , OBE (born 7 October 1934) is a military historian and former Royal Marines officer who commanded 3 Commando Brigade during the Falklands War.

Early life

Thompson was born on 7 October 1934 to Major A. J. Thompson DSO MC and Mary Stearns Thompson (née Krause). He was educated at Sherborne School, an all-boys public school in Dorset. ^[1]

Military career

Thompson joined the Royal Marines in 1952. ^[2] Between 1954 and 1969, he served in 40, 42, 43, 45 Commandos Royal Marines. ^[1] During the 1960s he was deployed to Borneo for the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. He was promoted to major at the end of 1968, ^[3] and to lieutenant colonel at the start of 1975. ^[4] He was appointed commanding officer of 40 Commando in 1975, and commanded it for two and a half years. ^[5] He was promoted to colonel in mid-1978, ^[6] and later to brigadier and appointed as commander of 3 Commando Brigade in 1981.^{[ citation needed ]} Thompson commanded 3 Commando Brigade in the 1982 Falklands War. ^[7] Promoted to major general, he served as commander of the Training Reserve Forces and Special Forces RM from 1983 to 1986. ^[1] He retired in 1986. ^[2]

Later life

In retirement he has written extensively on British military history. His first book, No Picnic was published in 1985, ^[8] whilst he was still serving in the Royal Marines.

From 1987 to 1997, he was a senior research fellow in "logistics and armed conflict in the modern age" at King's College, University of London. ^[1] He has been a visiting professor at the Department of War Studies of King's since 1997. ^{[1] [2] [9]}

Thompson is the Chairman of Veterans for Britain, an organization with the aim to "put forward the defence and security arguments for the UK to vote to leave the European Union" and following the referendum to "support Her Majesty's Government in the task of restoring full sovereign control to all aspects of the defence of the realm in accordance with that mandate of the people". ^[10]

Selected works

• Thompson, Julian (1985). No Picnic: 3 Commando Brigade in the South Atlantic, 1982 (1 ed.). Leo Cooper in association with Secker & Warburg. ISBN   978-0436520525.
• Thompson, Julian (2009). 3 Commando Brigade in the Falklands: No Picnic. Pen & Sword Books Limited. ISBN   978-1-84415-879-9. This is a revised version of No Picnic (1985)
• Thompson, Julian (1990). Ready for Anything: The Parachute Regiment at War, 1940–1982. Fontana/Collins. ISBN   978-0-00-637505-0.
• Thompson, Julian (1994). The Imperial War Museum Book of Victory in Europe.
• Thompson, Julian (1998). The Imperial War Museum Book of War Behind Enemy Lines. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN   0-330-36761-7.
• Thompson, Julian (2002). The Imperial War Museum Book of the War in Burma, 1942–45: A Vital Contribution to Victory in the Far East. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN   978-0-283-07280-2.
• Thompson, Julian (2003). Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force. Diane Pub Co. ISBN   978-0-7567-6441-8.
• Thompson, Julian (2006). The 1916 Experience: Verdun and the Somme. Carlton. ISBN   978-1-84442-450-4.
• Thompson, Julian (2009). Call to Arms: The Great Military Speeches. Book Sales, Inc. ISBN   978-1-84724-266-2.
• Thompson, Julian (2011). Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. ISBN   978-1-61145-314-0.
• Thompson, Julian; Millett, Allan R. (2012). The Second World War in 100 Objects. Carlton. ISBN   978-1-78097-103-2.
• Thompson, Julian (2016). The Royal Navy – 100 Years of Modern Warfare. London: Andre Deutsch. ISBN   978-0233004860.

Honours and awards

• June 1978: OBE ^[11]
• October 1982: Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) ^[12]

References

1. "Thompson, Maj.-Gen. Julian Howard Atherden". Who's Who 2018 . Oxford University Press. 1 December 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U37539. ISBN   978-0-19-954088-4.
2. "Major General J H A Thompson CB OBE". Limehouse Group of Analysts. Archived from the original on 6 January 2020.
3. "Ministry of Defence" (PDF). Supplement to The London Gazette . 30 December 1968. p. 2. "p.1" (PDF).
4. "Ministry of Defence" (PDF). Supplement to The London Gazette . 7 January 1975. p. 2. "p.1" (PDF).
5. "Guest speakers, Major General Julian Thompson", National Army Museum , archived from the original on 27 March 2021, retrieved 27 March 2021
6. "Ministry of Defence" (PDF). Supplement to The London Gazette . 10 July 1978. p. 2. "p.1" (PDF).
7. Shirley, John (5 May 2007). "The long yomp to Stanley". The Guardian .
8. Thompson, Julian (1985). No Picnic: 3 Commando Brigade in the South Atlantic, 1982. Leo Cooper in association with Secker & Warburg. ISBN   978-0436520525.
9. Thompson, Julian (6 April 2003). "If Baghdad doesn't fall, it will crumble". The Guardian.
10. "VfB Chairman: UK Being Pushed Towards EU Defence Union and Ordinary People Must Raise Alarm". Veterans for Britain . 27 October 2017.
11. "Order of the British Empire (Military Division)". The London Gazette, Supplement 47549. 3 June 1978. p. 6233.
12. "Central Chancery of the orders of Knighthood". The London Gazette Supplement 49134. 8 October 1982. p. 12856.

External links

• Imperial War Museum Interview from 1992

Military offices
Preceded by Michael Wilkins	Brigadier Commanding 3 Commando Brigade 1981–1983	Succeeded by Martin Garrod