9151 Company Sergeant Major Alfred Edward Littlejohn Thomson was born in Truro, Nova Scotia on 10 December 1886, the son of Robert Littlejohn Thomson and Eleanor Cheyne, and had two sisters.

He joined The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada militia circa 1903 and rose to the rank of Colour Sergeant by 1914.

In 1907 he had a daughter Freda Dorothea Jerome with Christina Jane Jerome.  Freda was raised by her grandparents and it is believed that Freda was an adult before she found out who her father was. Apparently, they did meet each other and spent time together.

On 22 September 1914, Thomson enlisted with his fellow Sergeants in the 3rd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force and after training in Valcartier, Quebec and in England, crossed to France. On 29 January 1915, he was confirmed as a Warrant Officer Class II. In April he survived the 2nd Battle of Ypres but was reported missing on 11 May 1915 and two months later confirmed as a prisoner of war, originally in Giessen POW camp and later in Holland. Thompson was repatriated to England on 8 February 1919 and discharged on 23 May.

On 17 September 1919, he married Florence Louise Haskell in Toronto. It’s not clear what work he had after the war although he had been a clerk when he enlisted.

In 1938 he returned to England and found a job with the UK Ministry of Transportation working from offices in Bedford. He was a member of the Grand Lodge of England Freemasons.

In July 1943 he married Alice Gertrude Noakes presumably having divorced Florence as she was still alive although that’s not known for sure. It appears he had no children with Florence or Alice.

CSM Thomson died on 9 November 1966 in Bedford, England and is buried in Foster Hill Road Cemetery in Bedford.

See also A Wooden Mallett and Six Sergeants.