September 28, 1902 - August 9, 1943

Brookside Cemetery
Houston, Texas
 

Find A Grave Memorial

Chief Shipfitter, U.S. Navy, Carl Allen Thompson, was born at Gueydan*, Vermillion Parish, Louisiana on September 28, 1902. He was the son of Thomas Moore Thompson [September 13, 1872 – September 30, 1940] and Clifford Annie (Dudley) Thompson [September 29, 1871 – August 8, 1949] who were married in Lincoln Parrish, Louisiana on December 6, 1896. His father was a rice farmer. At a very young age the family moved to Matagorda County, Texas. On April 3, 1926 he wed Miss Ruth Finch** in Matagorda, County. Prior to enlisting, he was an iron worker. He enlisted in the Navy Seabees in September 1942.  The first men in the Seabees were not raw recruits trade wise, they were recruited for their experience and skills and were given advanced rank for it. As a group they were the highest paid the United States had in uniform during WWII. To find the men with the necessary qualifications, physical standards were less rigid than other branches of the armed forces. The age range was 18 – 50, with the average of 37, during the first years of the war. Even so – they all were put through the same physical training. These men had built the nations dams, the national highway system, and skyscrapers. They had worked the mines, quarries and built subways. They had built docks, wharfs and ships in the shipyards. It spoke very highly of Carl, to be given the highest enlisted rank at that time – Chief Petty Officer. The record is not clear where he was killed in action, but given the date of his death, August 9, 1943 the Navy and Marine Corps had begun the battle of Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific (7 August 1942 – 9 February 1943); powerful American and Australian naval forces supported these landings, as they continued fighting at Guadalcanal, others had moved on to Tulagi and Florida Islands. His death could have occurred in any of those locations. There was one central temporary war cemetery near Henderson Field on Guadalcanal that had been established during the middle of 1942, The American Cemetery Guadalcanal. By 1943 the cemetery was further developed with a chapel made using local materials, and a large cross, surrounded by machine gun bullets and 37mm shells. This is most likely where Chief Thompson was first laid to rest before his remains were repatriated to the United States in 1948, and reburied at Brookside Memorial Park, Houston, Texas. At the time of his death he was survived by his wife Ruth, a daughter, Nancy Ruth (13) and a son, Billy Earl (15). He was also survived by his mother Clifford Annie; three brothers Richard Kerr “RK” of Bay City, Floyd of Houston, and Harold DeWitt “HD”/”Jack” of Ohio. Five sisters: Bessie, Thelma, Jewel, Vivian and Marine.

*Death certificate gives Abbeville, Vermillion Parish, Louisiana.

**Ruth remarried on March 6, 1970 to Clare V. Bowman [May 19, 1897 – November 18, 1970] in Brazoria County, Texas.
 

BAY CITY MAN DIES IN LINE DUTY, SOLOMONS

Carl Thompson Leaves Wife And Two Children

Word was received Friday night by the family of Carl Allen Thompson, chief ship fitter, U. S. Naval Reserves, serving with the Seabees, that he had died August 9th, somewhere in the Solomons while in line of duty.

Seabee Thompson, enlisted in the service last September. He was called to active duty in October 23, 1942. He was sent to the Solomon Islands and it was down in that theatre of the war that Leslie (Bully) Watkins and Bundy Eidlebach, both in the navy, all met. Watkins took pictures of the group while on the island when the three Bay City boys got together.

Thompson was in business in Houston when he enlisted in the service. In World War No. I he attempted to enlist in the army but was rejected on account of his youth. He then went to Ellington field to enlist in the aviation but was rejected there because of his youth. Not to be discouraged he then went to the navy in the later part of the war and enlisted to serve three years. Following the war he returned to Bay City where his father, the late T. M. Thompson was farming rice and had farmed rice since moving his family here in 1903.

He is survived by his wife and one daughter, Nancy Ruth, 13, one son, Billy Earl, 15. Also surviving is his mother, Mrs. T. M. Thompson; three brothers, R. K., Bay City, Floyd of Houston, and H. D. (Jack) of Ohio. Five sisters also survive: Mrs. H. D. Brown, Mrs. V. D. Kelly, Mrs. J. Johnson of Houston, and Mrs. James McDonald and Mrs. H. H. Ayler, of Bay City.                                                                             

The Daily Tribune, Monday, August 16, 1943

 

Mrs. T. M. Thompson, Former Bay Cityan Dies in Houston

Funeral services for Mrs. T. M. Thompson, age 76 years, 10 months and nine days were held Tuesday from the Matchett-Newman Funeral Home. Death came Monday night in a Houston hospital following an illness of over three years.

Mrs. Thompson was a resident of Bay City for many years, and she was the widow of the late T. M. Thompson, rice farmer and merchant in the city.

She is survived by five daughters; Mrs. D. L. Brown, Mrs. V. D. Kelly and Mrs. J. J. Johnson of Houston, Mrs. Jas. McDonald and Mrs. H. H. Aylor of Bay City; three sons, Floyd L., H. D. and R. K. Thompson all of Houston; three sisters, Mrs. Beulah Stell and Mrs. C. E. Barnett of Houston, and Mrs. Pearl Dale of Tomball; four brothers, Frank Dudley, Texas City, T. Dudley, Port Arthur, W. L. Dudley, Houston and Earl Dudley of Angleton.

Rev. W. W. Hawthorne of the Methodist Church officiated at the services. Interment was in Cedarvale Cemetery. Pallbearers were all Oddfellows, Earl Vaughn, C. O. Ruth, Harris Milner, C. C. Marshall, C. B. Jeanes, C. W. Reese.

The Daily Tribune, August 10, 1949
 

Funeral Services For T. M. Thompson Held This Afternoon

Mr. T. M. Thompson, age 68 years, passed away at his home yesterday afternoon at 4 p.m., after a very short illness.

Mr. Thompson is survived by his wife, five daughters, Mrs. D. L. Brown, Mrs. V. D. Kelley, Mrs. Jewel Short, Mrs. James McDonald and Mrs. H. H. Cuylor; four sons, Floyd, Carl, H. D., and R. K. and one sister, Mrs. A. M. Alexander, 23 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held from the Walker-Matchett Funeral Home this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. with Rev. Ernest Deutsch officiating. The Odd Fellows' Lodge will conduct the services at the grave. Burial will be in the Cedarvale Cemetery.

The Daily Tribune, October 1, 1940
 

Opens New Auto Shop

Bay City, Tex., Dec. 18.--T. M. Thompson has opened up a new tire and automobile accessory department in the newly erected brick house just recently erected on his property by the Columbian Refining Company. Mr. Thompson will also act as the agent of the Columbian Refining Company filling station adjoining his business.

San Antonio Express, December 19, 1919
 

Pictures courtesy of Kenneth L. Thames.
Thompson family pictured courtesy of Kent Kelley
 

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