South Yorkshire Times and Express – Saturday 3 January 1953

Wath Man’s O.B.E.

New Year Honour for Mr. Arthur Thomson

Awarded an O.B.E. in the New Year’s Honours List is Mr. Arthur Thomas Thomson, of “Woodside,” Sandygate, Wath, who, at 81, is still one of the most active men in public life in Wath and district.

The honour comes to him chiefly for services to the Ministry of Labour Employment Committee in Mexborough.

He has been chairman of the Mexborough and District Local Employment Committee since March, 1938, and in all that time has not missed one quarterly meeting.

Mr. Thomson’s activities have been and are still many. He is chairman of the Mexborough and Rotherham Coal Mining Area Campaign Committee, established in 1951, and until last year was chairman of the Dearne Drainage Board.

Before his retirement just before the war, he had been for many years the managing director of the Manvers Main Colliery Company.

He is also an Officer Brother of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and his ambulance work is another lifelong interest.

Mr. Thomson is president of both Wath Athletic Club and Wath Golf Club, and has been Vicar’s Warden at Wath Parish Church for more than 40 years.

During the last war he was chairman of the local panel set up in 1943 to deal with infringements by juveniles under the Breaches of the Defence (General) Regulations, and has been chairman at various review panels set up by the Employment Exchange and Committee for several years.