Pvt. Alexander Dean Thomson #42723, Rifleman: 100 Years of WW1 Commemoration
Private THOMSON, ALEXANDER DEAN - #42723, Rifleman: ALEXANDER DEAN THOMSON (photo from AWMM Cenotaph Site online) Alex was born 10 September 1890, in Invercargill, recorded as being the youngest son of John (called James) and (William) Margaret Thomson, of Otautau, Invercargill. Although in his Military records and those who copied them, William has been wrongly recorded as his father’s name, when everywhere else this was always just James. It is only at James' burial that we find Alex’s father’s name was John, even though he was known as James. His mother’s name however, strangely seems to have actually been William MARGARET (nee Cheyne), and this is borne out both in Alex’s will – written just before he left for WW1 which names her as such, and also in her own death and burial records, along with her own will/probate. Their first child has Wilhimena Margaret listed as mother, the others just Margaret. I guess l...