Ronald Ernest Thompson was born on May 19, 1916, in Sheffield, Metropolitan Borough of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. He was the son of Ernest Thompson and Anna Orridge Thompson. He served in the 334th Bomber Squadron, 95th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot of B-17G #42-31258 nicknamed "Lucky Strike" during World War II.

On April 10, 1944, the aircraft was shot down over France while on a mission to Beaumont-sur-Oise. It had taken off at 05:30 from Station 119 in Horham, Suffolk, UK. While flying near Château-Thierry, the bomber was attacked by German Fw 190 fighters. The crew was forced to jettison their bombs over a secondary target before beginning to evacuate around 09:45. As the crew bailed out, the aircraft exploded in midair over La Fosse Pernet, located between the communes of Ercuis and Le Tillet—approximately 10 kilometers southwest of Nogent-sur-Oise—resulting in the deaths of four crew members.

2Lt Thompson was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial, Epinal, Departement des Vosges, Lorraine, France.

Source of information: http://francecrashes39-45.net/