Muriel Thompson | |
|---|---|
 Muriel Thompson in theFirst Aid Nursing Yeomanry | |
| Born | (1875-06-10)10 June 1875 Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Died | 3 March 1939(1939-03-03) (aged 63) London, England |
| Resting place | Brompton Cemetery, London |
| Known for | decoratedWorld War I ambulance driver,racing driver,suffragist |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Order of Leopold II Croix de Guerre Military Medal |
Muriel ThompsonMM (10 June 1875 – 3 March 1939) was a decorated Scottish World War I ambulance driver,racing driver andsuffragist.
Muriel Annie Thompson was born on 10 June 1875 inAberdeen, Scotland to Agnes Marion Williamson (1846–1926), the second wife ofCornelius Thompson, a shipowner andmarine architect, the fifth of eight children.[1] Her paternal grandfatherGeorge Thompson was Laird of Pitmedden, founded of theAberdeen Line shipping line, and had beenLord Provost of Aberdeen and anMP (1852) for the city.[1]
Thompson was an avid motorist, and from an early age she drove the family car. She and her brothers helped found the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club. On 4 July 1908 she won the first ladies’ motor race held atBrooklands,[2] theLadies' Bracelet Handicap. She won in her brother'sAustin racing car, called Pobble, with a speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).[1] She also won the Scratch Motor Car Race.[3]
Thompson was hired as a chauffeur for theWomen's Social and Political Union, and droveEmmeline Pankhurst on her national tour in 1909.[3] She drove a green Austin car with white wheels and purple stripes, the colours of the suffragette movement.[4]
DuringWorld War I Thompson was a driver for theFirst Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), joining in January 1915. The role included a requirement to perform mechanical maintenance tasks on the vehicles. The British armed forces initially refused the help of female medical support, so the FANY offered support to other Allied nations.[1]
On 8 February 1915, Thompson travelled via Calais to Lamarck, a Belgian military hospital run by the corps. She took her Cadillac with her, converted into an ambulance, known as 'Kangaroo'.[3] She was nicknamed Thompers by her colleagues.[4] In 1916 she was second in command toLilian Franklin on the first expedition in support of the British Army (the FANY had previously assisted the Belgians and the French).[1] Shewas mentioned in dispatches on 9 April 1917 and by 1 January 1918 was appointed officer commanding a new joint FANY–Voluntary Aid Detachment convoy based atSt Omer near the front line, which became part of the BritishSecond Army on 4 May 1918.[1] Two weeks later on 18 May, the unit attended the scene of a bombing raid onArques, and were subject to a second raid. They were ordered to take cover but they worked through the bombing raid and moved many of the injured to safety. The unit was awarded sixteen military medals and three Croix de Guerre for their work that night and their coolness and courage under fire. The British and French officers present at the incident were very strong in their support of the women receiving the award.[1]
She served in war zones with the FANY for nearly four years, returning home on 2 September 1918 for a month's recuperation. Thompson then joined theWomen's Royal Air Force as a recruiting officer before being demobilised on 1 October 1919.[1]
On 29 March 1915 she was awarded theKnight's Cross of the Order of Leopold II, byKing Albert for evacuating wounded Belgian soldiers under fire nearDiksmuide. Thompson was also awarded the BritishMilitary Medal and the FrenchCroix de Guerre for courage under fire while moving injured during bombing raid in May 1918.[1]
After the war Thompson lived in Kensington in London. She died at her home on 3 March 1939 ofencephalitis lethargica. She was buried inBrompton Cemetery, London.[1] Her medals were ultimately donated to the National Army Museum.[1][5]