In 1945 Winston Churchill ordered the planning of "Operation Unthinkable", to launch an offensive against the Soviet Forces after the defeat of Germany to wrest Eastern Europe from the Soviet Union. Thompson was asked to create a plan to push back the Soviet Forces into Poland. The plan could only muster some 47 UK and US Divisions against 170 Soviet ones and controversially sought to rearm Wehrmacht and SS troops to close the gap. Widespread opposition from the UK Chiefs of Staff eventually saw it shelved.[6]
^ abPublishing, Zircon (23 March 1973). Who's Who, What's what and where in Ireland. Geoffrey Chapman Publishers. ISBN9780225658873 – via Google Books.
geoffrey, thompson, british, army, officer, lieutenant, general, geoffrey, stuart, thompson, january, 1905, november, 1983, senior, british, army, officer, became, military, secretary, geoffrey, thompsonlieutenant, general, geoffrey, thompson, pictured, here, . Lieutenant General Sir Geoffrey Stuart Thompson KBE CB DSO 6 January 1905 15 November 1983 was a senior British Army officer who became Military Secretary Sir Geoffrey ThompsonLieutenant General Sir Geoffrey Thompson pictured here in 1957 Born6 January 1905 1 Berkshire England 2 Died15 November 1983 aged 78 2 Allegiance United KingdomService wbr branch British ArmyYears of service1925 1961RankLieutenant GeneralService number31611UnitRoyal ArtilleryCommands held1st Field Regiment Royal Artillery2nd Army Group Royal ArtilleryBattles warsWorld War IIAwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British EmpireCompanion of the Order of the BathDistinguished Service OrderMilitary career EditThompson was born as the youngest of three sons in Wokingham Berkshire in 1905 the son of Brigadier General William Arthur Murray Thompson and his wife Henrietta Rickman He was educated at the Royal Naval College Osborne and Britannia Royal Naval College before going to the Royal Military Academy Woolwich 1 2 After passing out from Woolwich Thompson was commissioned into the Royal Artillery on 28 January 1925 3 4 He served in World War II and from 1942 was attached the French Forces in the Middle East 4 In 1944 he was made Commanding Officer of 1st Field Regiment in Italy 4 He took part in the liberation of Athens in 1945 5 A convalescent Winston Churchill meets the outgoing and incoming Supreme Commanders in the Mediterranean Dwight D Eisenhower to Churchill s right and Henry Maitland Wilson to his left Behind them stand from left to right John Whiteley Air Marshal Arthur Tedder Brigadier G S Thompson Admiral Sir John Cunningham unknown Sir Harold Alexander Captain M L Power Humfrey Gale Leslie Hollis and Eisenhower s chief of staff Walter Bedell Smith In 1945 Winston Churchill ordered the planning of Operation Unthinkable to launch an offensive against the Soviet Forces after the defeat of Germany to wrest Eastern Europe from the Soviet Union Thompson was asked to create a plan to push back the Soviet Forces into Poland The plan could only muster some 47 UK and US Divisions against 170 Soviet ones and controversially sought to rearm Wehrmacht and SS troops to close the gap Widespread opposition from the UK Chiefs of Staff eventually saw it shelved 6 He later became Chief of Staff at Anti Aircraft Command and then from 1950 Commander of No 2 Army Group Royal Artillery in Egypt 4 He was appointed Director of Land Air Warfare and Director of NATO Standardisation at the War Office in 1952 and went on to be Senior Army Instructor at the Imperial Defence College in 1955 4 He was appointed Director of Staff Duties at the War Office in 1957 and Military Secretary in 1959 4 He retired in 1961 4 He was also Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery from 1961 to 1969 4 In retirement he became a Director of Arthur Guinness Son amp Co Dublin Limited 7 References Edit a b Publishing Zircon 23 March 1973 Who s Who What s what and where in Ireland Geoffrey Chapman Publishers ISBN 9780225658873 via Google Books a b c FamilySearch org ancestors familysearch org No 33015 The London Gazette 27 January 1925 p 593 a b c d e f g h King s Collections Archive Catalogues Military Archives kingscollections org MEDAL GROUP TO A GENERAL AND HIS WIFE Trade Me Milton Giles 23 May 2021 Operation Unthinkable Churchill s top secret plan to invade Russia The Telegraph via www telegraph co uk Parliamentary Debates Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Dail Eireann Volume 238 19 February 1969External links EditGenerals of World War IIMilitary officesPreceded bySir Hugh Stockwell Military Secretary1959 1961 Succeeded bySir William Stirling Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Geoffrey Thompson British Army officer amp oldid 1095365420, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
