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
Born	7 October 1934
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Marines
Years of service	1952–86
Rank	Major General
Commands held	3 Commando Brigade 40 Commando
Battles/wars	Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation Falklands War
Awards	Companion 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 appointed commanding officer of 40 Commando in 1975 and commander of 3 Commando Brigade in 1981 and, in that role, was British land commander on the Falkland Islands during the first phase of the conflict ashore.[3] 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 the Falklands conflict and other aspects of British military history including the Iraq War.[4]

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]

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". [5]

Selected works

• Julian Thompson (2009). 3 Commando Brigade In The Falklands: No Picnic. Pen & Sword Books Limited. ISBN 978-1-84415-879-9.
• Julian Thompson (1990). Ready for Anything: The Parachute Regiment at War, 1940–1982. Fontana/Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-637505-0.
• Julian Thompson (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.
• Julian Thompson (2003). Royal Marines: From Sea Soldiers to a Special Force. Diane Pub Co. ISBN 978-0-7567-6441-8.
• Julian Thompson (2011). Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. ISBN 978-1-61145-314-0.
• Julian Thompson (2006). The 1916 Experience: Verdun and the Somme. Carlton. ISBN 978-1-84442-450-4.
• Julian Thompson (2009). Call to Arms: The Great Military Speeches. Book Sales, Inc. ISBN 978-1-84724-266-2.
• Works by or about Julian Thompson in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Julian Thompson & Allan R. Millett (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.

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. Missing or empty |url= (help)
2. Limehouse Group of analysts
3. The long yomp to Stanley The Guardian, 5 May 2007
4. If Baghdad doesn't fall, it will crumble Guardian, 6 April 2003
5. [veteransforbritain.uk/about/aims/]

External links

• Imperial War Museum Interview from 1992