Julian Thompson (Royal Marines officer)

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.

Julian Thompson
Major General Julian Thompson at Aldershot Military Cemetery - 18 June 2022
Born (1934-10-07) 7 October 1934
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Marines
Years of service1952–1986
RankMajor General
Commands held3 Commando Brigade
40 Commando
Battles/warsIndonesia–Malaysia confrontation
Falklands War
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire

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. 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 (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 (2011). Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. ISBN 978-1-61145-314-0.
  • 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; 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

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.
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