Also known as: Bill.
Bill Thompson was born in Birtley on 10 July 1921, the second of two sons of Fred and Margaret Thompson. He was very close to his mother and her death in 1937 affected him deeply. He joined the Royal Navy aged 16 and served throughout and until after World War 2.
While stationed in Fort William during the Second World War, he met Mary, known to Bill and to her Wren friends as "Vicky" as there were many Marys in the WRNS at that time! He always said that he had fallen in love with her at first sight, and their 54 year marriage was testament to their mutual devotion.
After the birth of their first child, Anthony, Bill left the Royal Navy to be with his family in Newburn, near Newcastle upon Tyne. He joined Northumberland Fire Brigade where he achieved the rank of Sub-Officer before he moved to Carlisle for promotion to Station Officer in 1965. By then the family had grown to include 2 daughters, Elizabeth and Jane.
On moving to Carlisle, Bill and his family lived in a Fire Brigade house opposite the fire station. He retired in 1976 and he and Mary remained in Carlisle until her death in 1999, when Bill went to live with his elder daughter in Eaglesfield, Dumfries & Galloway. Although he missed Mary very much, he settled into life in the village and was popular with visitors to his daughter’s house.
In November 2010 he was diagnosed with cancer and he passed away very peacefully on 19 January 2011. A lovely service of remembrance was held at Roucan Loch, Dumfries on 25 January. It was a matter of great comfort and pride to his family that the service was attended by former Fire Brigade colleagues, friends and neighbours from his life in Eaglesfield as well as immediate and extended family members. Bill had always been a supporter of the then Fire Brigade National Benevolent Fund and so the collection from his funeral was donated to the Fire Fighters Charity. His ashes have been interred beside a tree at Roucan Loch.
Bill had many tales of his years in the Fire Service, from helping to rescue Molly Malone (a cow which had become stuck in a hole on a farm in Northumberland) to losing the fire engine while following in the fire van shortly after moving to Carlisle and the “language barrier” causing him problems finding the right street! One of his proudest boasts was that during the night, when the fire bell sounded in the house, he could be dressed and across at the fire station to turn out within the required 30 seconds. On the night of his funeral service, where this story had been told, some of the family were staying in central Carlisle and the fire alarm went off in the hotel, leading to the speedy arrival of the Fire Brigade. Obviously Bill checking that the current generation were maintaining standards.
Bill is most remembered as a devoted family man. He was a much-loved husband, father, father-in-law, granddad, great-granddad, brother-in-law, uncle and friend. His service to the community through his time in the Royal Navy and the Fire Service was a matter of great pride to him and to his family who miss him greatly.
Added by: Elizabeth Thompson on 10 July 2011.
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Every year, thousands of fire fighters are injured whilst protecting the public. Every 30 seconds in the UK, fire fighters are called to an incident, putting their lives on the line, and often sustaining physical injuries whilst carrying out their duties. The Fire Fighters Charity is here for fire fighters during their times of need, and assists thousands of individuals every year, by providing pioneering treatment and support services.