Recieved from RHQ
It is with sadness that Hawkeye has been informed that Sergeant (Retd) Michael (Mick) Stephen Thompson (4 Mar 57 – 5 Sep 22) – Para/AAC died tragically in a road traffic accident on 5 Sep 22.
Mick enlisted for service with the Parachute Regiment and had been posted to 3 Para. In 1981 he attended Aircrewman Course No 45 and subsequently transferred to the AAC. He was posted to 657 Squadron AAC, at that time based in Oakington near Cambridge. His time with 657 Squadron included a tour in the Falkland Islands, where the AAC was providing post Op Corporate roulement detachments in support of the Defence Force. He converted to Lynx on Aircrewman Course No 30 in 1983 and was subsequently posted to 4 Regt AAC based in Detmold. He qualified as a pilot on APC 318 in 1989. His tour with 4 Regt AAC/654 Sqn AAC included the deployment to the Gulf. Mick’s recollection of one particular action during the operation was published in the AAC Journal:
26.02.1991 – Day Two – 654 Sqn, Gulf War.
I was the recce flight commander at the time. I had two Gazelle and one Lynx working with me. We were tasked to clear the Start Line and move forward to Line Tory. We moved up, and were a bit surprised to find the two squadrons of tanks and APCs already clearing the Start Line. The attack went through with the artillery barrage and we were given the clearance to go forward. We moved forward initially in front of the tanks. We stopped and then the OC ordered me and the other Gazelle and Lynx to move to the North to start clearing that area, leaving the other Lynx in the South. We moved forward, and were just about to engage when he thought he saw friendly forces. We stopped. By this time the OC had arrived and he ordered the HELARM to carry on. Another tank was taken out. By that stage the weather was getting quite bad, fuel was low, and we decided to abort.
Sergeant Michael Stephen Thompson went on to serve with 665 Sqn AAC in NI and then with 9 Regt AAC/664 Sqn AAC in Dishforth before retiring from service in 1997.
Our thoughts are with his wife Gill and family, and with his many friends and comrades.
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