22 SAS Training Wing staff, mid-1980s. End of an eight-week selection jungle phase, last men out. Washed, shaved, and waiting for the chopper to go back to the real world. Vince is standing on the extreme right.
Last week I was given the sad news that an old SAS mate had died…Vince Thompson.
Vince did selection just before me, he was on a different squadron, but when we worked together on Training Wing in the mid 1980s we jelled immediately.
A super laddie, with shovel hands, fingers like sausages and a wicked sense of good old Brit squaddie humour.
He would do anything for you in order to help, and he was always there if any of us had a problem.
The whole Training Wing team loved him to bits, and he was key on the advance party, as we were setting up the jungle camp with the local Iban Dyaks from the jungle interior.
Vince is in a terrific old photograph (below), which I believe is in the Imperial War Museum under 22 SAS Selection.
My thoughts now are with Vince’s family and close friends.
When ever I’d bump into Vince post Regiment, I’d always think, and of course remind him of an event in the jungle from those days on Training Wing back in the 80s:
By far the most dangerous animal in the Borneo jungle, apart from man, is proven to be the great white male tusker boar. It’s killed more locals than any other animal. To the point that we would position our hammocks that were placed between two trees, ensuring that once we were in the hammock, we would be lying higher than the height of the boar, should it charge through our position in the night.
One night, while we were both on the advance party (at this stage, the students were yet to arrive in theatre), a group of boars led by a large white tusker had charged through our position two or three times through the night. It was stormy, thunder and lightning, and deadfall was falling pretty close to our location…the ground shaking as some extremely large hardwood trees crashed through other smaller ones to the ground.
Eventually, sometime after midnight, I got some sleep…until!
In his gruff West Country farmer’s accent, Vince calls across quietly, “Bob, are you awake mate?” More of a screaming whisper.
“Yes Vince,” I answered quietly.
“Stay perfectly still, don’t move a muscle,” Vince said calmly.
CRACK!
A round from Vince’s M16 passed between by head and the top of my basha sheet…approximately 8-10ins of a gap.
I heard a thud to my left as a big white male tusker fell where it was hit.
Vince saw the tusker lining itself up for another charge…it would be it’s last.
About 30 seconds later, the 2 Ibans turned up with their ancient mining head torches made from brass and fed by carbide, and had the tusker “paranged” into pieces, a fire lit, and the pieces cooking away. Head, torso in 2 pieces, and four legs.
A great shot from Vince, from his basha about 10ft from mine, and a chest shot at about 30yds, at night under the jungle canopy.
I’d say to him for years afterwards, who trusted who that night?
Vince’s answer to almost everything, either began or ended with “as sure as eggs are eggs…”
Of course…we trusted one another.
Here’s to you Vince, terribly missed, and Training Wing way back then, was always the better when you were there.
Bob Shepherd 
RIP Vince thank you for your service
Bob, were there 2 different Vincent Thompson’s in the regiment ? It seems that John Vincent Thompson who took part in the Embassy siege died last year and now the media report that Vincent Thompson has recently passed away and his funeral will take place later this month in Hereford. I would just like to clear up my confusion. Many thanks.
Yes Neil, two different people of the same era…but different squadrons too.