William Montgomery Thomson

Lieutenant-General Sir William Montgomerie Thomson (2 December 1877 – 23 July 1963) was a senior British Army officer who became military governor of Baku in 1918.

Military career

Born on 2 December 1877, William Thomson was the fourth son of Captain William Thomson of the 78th Highlanders and Alice Broughton. His older brother was Henry Broughton Thomson; Gwyneth Bebb married another brother, Thomas Weldon Thomson. He was educated at Bedford School.

In 1897 he joined the Seaforth Highlanders. He served in Sudan in 1898. During the First World War he commanded the 1st Seaforth Highlanders in France and Mesopotamia between 1915 and 1916, 35th Indian Brigade between 1916 and 1917, and 14th Indian Division between 1917 and 1918. Between September 1918 and May 1919 he commanded the North Persia Force and then British forces in the South Caucasus.

Thomson arrived in Baku the next day with about 2,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army and a detachment of Russian troops commanded by Nikolai Baratov. This was greeted with enthusiasm by the Russians of Baku. One of Thomson's first actions was to order the removal of the flag of the ADR. He also spoke in praise of Russia, declaring "The Allies cannot return home without restoring order in Russia and placing her in a position to again take her proper place among the nations of the world."

Thomson went on to become commander of the 154th Infantry Brigade in April 1920, was promoted to major general on 3 January 1923, General Officer Commanding the Presidency and Assam District in November 1924 and General Officer Commanding the 51st (Highland) Division in June 1925.

Thomson, promoted in June 1931 to lieutenant general, retired from the army in February 1934. He was given the colonelcy of the Seaforth Highlanders in 1939, holding the position until 1947.

He died on 23 July 1963. He is buried in Kinloss Abbey but is also memorialised on a family stone within the eastern enclosure at St Machar's Cathedral.