Robert Thompson is honoured for books remembering names of many war veterans
An author who is noted for books listing those killed during WWI has been honoured with a BEM by the Queen.
Robert Thompson, 82, (pictured) is best known for his self-published books listing those killed from places such as Ballymoney, Bushmills, Coleraine, Portrush, Portstewart, Innishowen, Garvagh and Aghadowey.
He also made a major contribution to a similar publication on Kilrea.
As a result of his groundbreaking research, the personal stories of many of the hundreds of young men from local communities who were killed in WWI are now known.
It was also thanks to his work that over 300 men who died during WWI, WWII and the Korean War were finally added to the blank marble panels of the Ballymoney War Memorial in February 2000.
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Mr Thompson was the driving force behind the memorial stone to WWI-hero John Meeke MM at Derrykeighan Old Graveyard, Ballymoney, and a statute of Robert Quigg VC, which was unveiled by the Queen Bushmills in 2016.
Robert’s son, John Thompson, said: “On behalf of my father, Robert Thompson, I would like say how proud and humbled he is to receive this award. It is an incredible honour for the Queen to recognise how he devoted so much of his life to the commemoration and remembrance of those who died during the First World War.” Unfortunately his father is too ill to respond to the many messages of congratulations, he added.