Thompson / Corporaal Family History

Robert Hampton Thompson ¹

   Cause of his death was complications due to bowel cancer.

  General Notes:

In 1963, R.H. Thompson held the rank of Group Captain in the Royal Australian Air Force and was the C.O. of 82 Wing at RAAF Amberley in Queensland, Australia. 82 Wing is a bomber command and was flying CAF Canberra and Boeing B47 Bombers prior to the F111 swing wing fighter/bomber. Regretfully he did not live to see the introduction of these amazing aircraft.

At the time of his death R. H. Thompson had the rank of Acting Air Commodore in the Royal Australian Air Force and was for a short time Commanding Officer of the RAAF base at Amberley in Queensland, Australia. ³

  Some of his life's milestones were:

Robert preferred to be known as Bob Thompson.

He was studying for a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1939 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. It is believed he was working for his brother Frederick (a qualified Pharmacist) while he was studying.

He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on Jan 16, 1939 at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria, Australia. ⁴

Robert was listed in the Electoral Roll as working as a Chemist Assistant and his address was 34 Douro Rd in South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia in 1941/1943.
[However this information was out of date as he had joined the RAAF in 1939.] ⁵

Robert Hampton Thompson served in the air force during WWII.
On January 21, 1942, the PBY Catilina flying boat designated A24-8 Captained by F/L Bob Thompson was patrolling off Kavieng and sighted the Japanese invasion fleet heading for Rabaul, New Britan. While shadowing this force A24-8 was shot down by Japanese Zero fighters from the aircraft carrier Shokaku. They crash landed heavily on the water, burning furiously. During the action, three of the crew were killed. A24-8 sank soon after the survivors abandoned ship. They were picked up by the Japanese heavy criuser Aoba and taken to Rabaul. Eventually they were taken to Tokyo to be interred in a POW camp. They were recovered at the end of the war.
Rabaul fell to the Japanese invaders on 22 January, but the warning they received allowed preparations that reduced the level of casualties.

F/L Paul G. Metzler was second pilot on board and wrote of the episode in 1963. His article appeared in "Stand To", the Journal of the ACT branch of the RSL in issue vol 8, no. 4 - July-August 1963. [A copy of the magazine is held by the National Library of Australia in Canberra.] In his article Paul describes how they spent a long time shadowing the fleet and how they were finally shot down by 5 Japanese "Zero" fighter aircraft.

To see a full transcript of Paul's article click on the "Home Page" below then the link "Recollections of a Catalina Pilot"

Information on "IJN Shokaku" can be found at <https://www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/ijn/shokaku.html>
and "IJN Aoba" at <https://www.combinedfleet.com/aoba_t.htm>

More data on A24-8 can be found at <https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/pby/A24-8.html>

The following article appeared in the Perth Daily News, Thur Oct 4, 1945, page 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article78483756 Retrieved April 15, 2015.
[This article has factual errors and is at odds with Paul Metzler's description of events. I believe Paul Metzler's description is accurate since he was there.]

"Lone Pilot Who Defied a Fleet"

Believed to be the first pilot of a Catalina to be shot down by the Japanese and taken prisoner of-war, Squadron-Leader Robert Hampton Thompson, of Douro Road, South Fremantle, is now reported safe.
On January 21, 1942, Squadron Leader Thompson was on lone patrol when he sighted the Japanese invasion force creeping down from Truk to Rabaul.
Thompson swooped over the armada and signalled: 'Turn back or I'll open fire.' Ignored, Thompson flashed a second signal. He then notified his base and reported that he intended firing shots across their bows as a warning.
He opened fire but was hit by ack-ack. He then reported that the tail of the Catalina had been shot away and that he was landing.
Next news of him came from Tokio [sic] radio on March 19, 1942, when it was reported that he was prisoner-of-war.
Mrs. Thompson received what is believed to be the first letter to reach Western Australia from a Jap internment camp. It arrived on November 6, 1942, having been brought out by diplomats.
Her son was officially reported to have been liberated on September 16.
Squadron-Leader Thompson, who is 28, obtained a cadetship in the R.A.A.F. in January, 1939.
He had a lucky escape in February, 1940, when an R.A.A.F. amphibian caught fire, but he and Squadron Leader D. H, Donnelly were rescued - in the sea twelve miles from Point Cook by a paddle steamer.
His mother, Mrs. M. E. Thompson, a widow, hopes that her other son Flight-Lieutenant Elmo Thompson (29) may be traced. He was posted missing on a flight- from Darwin in a Mitchell bomber on December 20, 1944. Both boys were educated at Perth C.B.C."
[Unfortunately F/L F.W. Elmo Thompson was listed as KIA over Tanimbar Islands, Indonesia]

Prisoner of War
Robert Hampton Thompson was held as a Prisoner of War in Japan from Feb 1, 1942 to Sept 16, 1945. Initally he was interred in Zentsuji Camp on Shikoku Island, about 130 km from Hiroshima. In Sept 1943 he was transferred to Shinagawa Camp outside Tokyo. On Sept 16, 1945 the camp was liberated and Sqdn. Ldr R.H. Thompson was repatriated to Sydney aboard the hospital ship HMHS Tjitjalenga arriving about Oct 8.

He was based at RAAF Air Force Base, Pearce, Western Australia, Australia in 1949 ⁶

He was promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader - RAAF, 1949, Pearce, Western Australia, Australia. ⁷

He was transferred to England, Jan 11, 1952 arriving aboard P&O's "SS Strathnaver" with his wife and family. He was on a posting for the RAAF.

He was working at the RAF Staff College, Bracknell, Berkshire, England in 1955 ⁸ Bob Thompson spent 2 years in England working with the RAF on developing knowledge in the use and deployment of jet aircraft as they would relate to the Australian Air Force.

He was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander, 1955, Bracknell, Berkshire, England. ⁸ at the RAF Staff College there.

He was promoted to acting Group Captain, in 1959. The promotion came with a transfer to become the Officer Commanding RAAF Darwin AFB in the Northern Territory, Australia

He was serving in the as the Australian Air Attache from 1965 To 1967 in Washington DC, USA. ⁴

He was diagnosed with bowel cancer in late 1966 in Washington, DC, USA. He and the family returned to RAAF Amberley AFB early 1967. ³

He was cremated Mt Thompson Crematorium in 1967 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Robert married Living