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.

Early life and education

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]

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

External links

• Imperial War Museum Interview from 1992