Captain Stewart Wyvol Thompson was born in Sunderland in June 1892 and originally commissioned into the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Transferring to the Royal Flying Corps, he qualified for his Aviator's Certificate in a Maurice Farman Biplane in December 1915 and eventually joined No. 16 Squadron in France in the following year, as evidenced by a number of surviving Combat Reports in the P.R.O. Among the latter are details of engagements fought with a Fokker Biplane over Miraumont on 18.6.1916 ('He was probably hit by some rounds from the second
drum ...'), and four other hostile aircraft east of Grandcourt on 20.10.1916 ('I turned to the left just as the first one opened fire at about 100 yards range, and engaged him with the front gun, after firing one drum he dived away ...').

Ending the War in a training capacity back in the U.K., Thompson was advanced to Captain in November 1918 and was placed on the Unemployed List in March 1919; sold with a copy portrait photograph from the archives of the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon.