1st Day of the Battle of the Somme Killed in Action 1914-15 Star Medal Trio to the Princess Victoria’s Royal Irish Fusiliers, 1914-15 Star Medal, ‘14737 PTE. W.J. THOMPSON R. IR: FUS:’, British War and Victory Medals, ‘14737 PTE. W.J. THOMPSON R. IR. FUS.’, with a polished 1891 crown. William James Thompson from Newtownards, Co. Down, Ireland served in France with the 9th (Co. Armagh) Battalion from 4th October 1915. He was killed in action on 1st July 1916 during the attack on Beaucorp. The Battalion began its advance across 600 yards of no man’s land 2 minutes before zero (7.28am). Coming under heavy machine gun fire they took heavy casualties before reaching the gaps in the British wire. The attack ground to a halt and they withdrew to their start positions by 8am. At roll call there were no Officers and just 80 men unwounded. James Thompson is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, France.