22 SAS Thompson, Henry Arthur Irwin

John Robertson

Administrator
Staff member
  • SURNAME
Thompson
  • FORENAME
Henry Arthur Irwin
  • UNIT
HQ (Operations Officer)
  • RANK
Major
  • NUMBER
189285
  • DATE OF DEATH
4th May 1963
  • AGE
41
  • GRAVESITE
Trusan Valley Memorial,Sarawak,East Malaysia Collective grave
  • ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Highland Fusiliers
born 2.11.1921
awards M.C.,Mention in Despatches
killed in helicopter crash near Long Merarap,Sarawak
Belvedere XG473 of 66 Squadron RAF
Terendak Military Cemetery,Malacca,West Malaysia Memorial Wall
 
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Henry Arthur Irwin Thompson

I lived at the SAS barracks almost next door to Major thompsons family home. I was 16 at the time and attended Lucton School. My father was Captain John Alcock MTO officer.
 
The 60th anniversary of this crash is tomorrow. The soldier who exhumed all nine of the dead and reburied them, held a funeral service, built the memorial and the memorial gardens is now 90 and still going strong. He told me this whole story this morning when I took him out for coffee and he told me the whole story. His name is Hugh Cave and he's an incredible man. https://www.marsandminerva.co.uk/memorials/trusan-valley-memorial/ Hugh and his late wife Colleen are in the centre of this photograph.
 
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