Captain, Royal Army Medical Corps, attached 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment.
Killed in action on 7th July 1916, age 30.
Remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
Former student of medicine.
Alfred was born on 8th July 1885 at Brussels, the son of Alfred and Florence Thomson of 9 Osborne Mansions, Northumberland Street, London. He lived in Belgium until he was seven when he moved with his parents to “Breowra”, Marlborough Avenue, Belfast. He went on to study medicine at Queen’s University, Belfast, Kings College London and finally the University of Manchester. On graduation he went into practice as a physician in Napsbury, St Albans.
When the war broke out in 1914 Alfred enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and was attached as Medical Officer to the 7th Royal Sussex Regiment. In July 1916 his unit was involved in the Battle of Albert, part of the Somme offensive. On 7th July 1916 he had gone to the aid of the battalion Adjutant who lay wounded 80 yards in front of the British lines in Mash Valley, just north of the village of La Boiselle. He was using a waterproof sheet to drag the adjutant back to within a few feet of the trenches, when he was fatally wounded by shrapnel. He died shortly afterwards. It was the day before his 31st birthday. He was recommended for the Victoria Cross for his actions that day, having previously been mentioned in dispatches, however, it was not awarded.