Foreign Office Thompson was a member of the Chemistry Panel of Consultants to the Research Branch of the Control Commission for Germany, and in this capacity made a number of visits to Germany. Other members of the Panel were A R (later Lord) Todd and H J Emeleus. In April 1949 Thompson was informally approached about going out to Germany for a three year period as Director of the Research Branch. He declined, doubting whether he could conveniently go out even for a short period, while a lengthy stretch would have meant a permanent break with his current job, and a major upheaval. At the end of 1949 Thompson accepted an invitation to serve on a selection committee for German dozenten to be placed in British universities and visited Germany in that capacity in March 1950. 1947-1956