Lt. John Sparrow David Thompson was born 28 October 1908 in Toronto and listed his profession as Transportation and religion as Protestant Anglican.

NOK: Mother: Maud E. Thompson, 10 Prince Arthur Ave., Toronto, phone MI 8796. Wife: Mrs. Jane Thompson, 49 Poplar Plains Crescent, Toronto.

Thompson enlisted in the 2nd Battalion, 48th Highlanders of Canada on 10 July 1940 at the age of 31 with oath of Allegiance administered by Captain George Hendrie and was made a 2nd Lieutenant assigned to B Company. Thompson had been 3 years in the Cadet Corps of St. Andrew’s College (1924 – 1927) rising to Captain. He was Struck Off Strength of the 2nd Battalion on 14 December 1940 in preparation to go overseas and join the 1st Battalion in England.

Lt. Thompson was in 6 Platoon (Pioneers) of Support Company in June 1943 as the battalion prepared to board SS (Troopship) Derbyshire to sail to the landing at Pachino, Sicily on 10 July. After the landings at Foggia in the boot of Italy on 3 September Thompson was one of several Highlanders placed on light duty in mid-September at Minervo due to jaundice from the malaria contracted while at rest in Sicily after the Sicilian campaign was over.

The Padre’s records show Lieut Warnie D.  Thompson  Pioneer, wounded (slight) on 28 July 1943.