William Jackson - Definition and Overview

For the US politician, see William Harding Jackson

William Jackson was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

He was 18 years old, and a Private in the 17th Bn., (N.S.W.), Australian Imperial Force during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 25/26 June 1916 near Armentieres, France, returning from a successful raid, several members of the raiding party were seriously wounded. Private Jackson got back safely and after handing over a prisoner he had brought in, immediately went out again under very heavy fire and helped to bring in a wounded man. He then went out again with a sergeant, to bring in another wounded man when his arm was blown off by a shell and the sergeant rendered unconscious. Private Jackson then returned for assistance and went out again to look for his wounded comrades.

Further information

Mr. George Gale, "Ealing", Kemiss Street, Randwick. at the Anzac Buffet, Sydney.
(S.M.H. 6.7.1917.)

INTRODUCTION Ever since Dr C E W Bean, in volume 111 of the Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918, 'The AIF in France' referred to William Jackson VC as being a Farmer from Merriwa, N.S.W. Other historians including Lionel Wigmore in in his 1963 book,'They Dared Mightily' followed adding that Jackson had been educated in Merriwa where he lived and worked on his parents property.

These inaccuracies along with others regarding Jackson's service during both World War's are still being perpetuated in various print media.

My research has revealed that while Jackson did live in Merriwa for seven years it was not until after his return from the First World War.

Controversy regarding the Medals he was entitled to and wore raged for almost fifty years. In January 1942 Jackson when replying to the Officer in Charge of the Base Records, wrote that if he was not entitled to the medals he wore somebody had slipped and slipped badly in issuing them to him.

Even five years after his death the Director of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra still was unsure of Jackson's entitlement to wear medals that various sources claimed he had been awarded. The 1981 Register of the Victoria Cross still shows Jackson as holding the VC and DCM. Despite what has been said and written Jackson was never recommended for, awarded or wore the Military Medal.

HIS EARLY LIFE William 'Billy' Jackson VC, was born John William Alexander Jackson on the 13th of September 1897 at "Glengower",Gunbar, a small settlement 80km (50m) north of Hay, New South Wales. The fourth child and eldest son of a twenty nine year old Paddington (Sydney) born farm labourer John Gale Jackson and his wife Adelaide Ann nee McFarlane. Billy Jackson, "Jacko" to his mates, during his early teenage years had built a reputation in Gunbar for his strength and reckless daring, so nobody was surprised when he left his employer, Mr William Gibson, of "Carlowrie" on the 15th February, 1915 aged just 17 years and five months and, with the approval of his father raised his age by twelve months to be amongst the first volunteers from Gunbar to enlist in the AIF.

THE FIRST WORLD WAR At Liverpool (Sydney) on the 20th February, 1915 Jackson swore his allegiance to the King and agreed to serve in the AIF for the duration, plus four months. Records show Jackson was 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall, weighed 12 stone (76 kg), had fair hair and complexion, grey eyes, and was of the Presbyterian religion.

Appointed to B Company of the 17th Battalion, 5th Infantry Brigade, AIF, his regimental number was 588. He embarked for training at Heliopolis, Egypt in May, 1915. On the 12th August, 1915 he was detailed for special duty in Alexandria, prior to landing on Gallipoli on the 20th August, where the following day he took part in the attack on Kaiajik Aghyl (Hill 60.)

Hospitalised at Gallipoli on the 3rd October, 1915 suffering from diarrhoea and a problem with his teeth, he was taken by the Hospital Ship 'Assaye' to a hospital in Malta and on the 7th January, 1916 his campaign almost came to an end when he was put on board the 'Esquibo' to be returned to Australia. Three days out he was off-loaded and admitted to the 1st Auxiliary Hospital Cairo, suffering from dysentery.

Returning to duty on the 15th February, 1916, he rejoined his battalion on the 8th March, 1916 only days before it embarked for France as part of the 2nd Division, to relieve the Northumberland Fusiliers.

On the 10th of April his division took over a forward position in the eastern Armentieres sector. Relieving the 3rd Brigade here, as a prelude to the Battle of the Somme, orders were issued that as many raids as possible were to be carried out on the enemy positions between the 20th and 30th June, 1916.

Jackson volunteered for these operations and at midnight on the night of 25th/26th of June he acted as a scout for a party that consisted of 40 Officers and men, led by Captain Keith Heritage when they carried out a raid that had been planned by General W. Holmes on the forward trenches of the 231st Prussian reserve infantry regiment. (Capt Heritage of the 19th Battalion was killed in action one month later, Major General Holmes C.M.G., D.S.O., the 5th brigade commander was killed by shellfire on July 2nd 1917 in France).

Within five minutes Engineers with the party had succesfully blown up two bomb stores while the remainder of the party attacked the enemy trenches.

Jackson revealed the coolness and bravery later mentioned in his citation both during and after the raid. The object of this raid was to bring back prisoners for interrogation. Jackson captured one of the enemy and returned safely with him through the 400 yard No-Man's land to his own lines despite the intense barrage of enemy shell and machine gun fire. On learning that some of the party had been hit, Jackson said "I don't like the idea of leaving any wounded men out there", immediately returned to No-Man's land and the enemy barrage and successfully rescued one of his wounded comrades, on his second resque mission, while still ignoring the intenseifying bombarment he and Sergeant Camden of the 19th Battalion were bringing in Pte Robinson, who had been seriously wounded. The blast from a exploding shell rendered Camden unconsious and blew off Jacksons right arm above the elbow as well as inflicting further wounds to Robinson. Private Alfred Edward Robinson died of wounds on the 3rd July 1916.

Despite the loss of his arm Jackson who said he "didn't feel much just a numbing sensation" returned to his lines, where an officer aplied a tourique to his arm using a piece of string and a stick.. Believing that Camden and others were still out in No-Man's land Jackson continued to search for another half an hour until he was satisfied that all the wounded had been bought in before he was sent to hospital.

The Hospital Ship 'St Patrick' took him from Boulogne to England, where on the 30th June, at the 3rd London General Hospital the remainder of his right arm was amputated. On the 20th July he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxillery Hospital, which had been set up in the grounds of an estate known as Harefield Park, Middlesex, now part of Greater London. On the 26th October he was transferred to the Auxilary Hospital, Southall, before being admitted to Queen Mary's General Hospital

Jackson was awarded the Victoria Cross for his great coolness and most conspicuous bravery while rescuing his wounded comrades while under heavy enemy fire following the raid which took place in an area S/E of Bois Grenier near Armentieres in France.(London Gazette: 9th September 1916)

To date Jackson remains the youngest Australian to be awarded a Victoria Cross. His Victoria Cross was the first won on the Western Front by an Australian.

The recommendation that Jackson be given recognition for his actions came from the General Officer Comanding the 5th Australian Infantry Brigade, who also praised Jackson for his ability as a scout both with this raiding party and his own battalion.

The approval of The Victoria Cross for Jackson, by King George V was Gazetted on the 8th Sept. 1916, just five days before his nineteenth birthday. The King's approval of a Distinguished Conduct Medal for Jackson was gazetted two weeks later on September 22nd.1916. Both these awards were promulgated in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. 184, on the 14th December, 1916. The Department of Defence notified John Jackson of both his sons awards on the 4th January 1917.

Sergeant Hugh Alison Camden of the 19th Battalion was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. For the part he played in the rescue of the wounded on the same night.

Jackson remained in England until the 4th May 1917, at which time he was invalided back to Australia along with 992 returning servicemen aboard H.M.A.T. 'Themistocles', which arrived in Sydney on the 5th July 1917.

Jackson, the first soldier from New South Wales to return from World War 1 with a VC, was hoisted shoulder high at the reception held at the Anzac Buffet in the Sydney Domain for the returning wounded soldiers.

On Thursday 26th July, 1917 Private Jackson VC visited Hay accompanied by Sergeant Camden DCM. They were met at the railway station by a large crowd before being conveyed to the Post Office square where he was officially welcomed.

The Deputy Mayor of Hay, Mr Butterworth, said " I have the greatest of pleasure in extending the welcome of the people of Hay…" "…They did not want to deprive Gunbar of one iota of the glory but they were enjoying a degree of reflected glory from the fact that Jackson was always referred to as being from Gunbar near Hay".

Sergeant Camden told the crowd "Bill (Jackson) had gone out looking for him without his arm. Not looking for a VC but for a Cobber".

On his return to his home town, Gunbar, the people of that district, wishing to show their appreciation, offered to buy Jackson a farming property, he refused their offer believing that the loss of his right arm would render him unable to work on the land. William Jackson VC was discharged from the AIF on the 15th of September, 1917

BETWEEN THE WARS Although Jackson's DCM was subsequently cancelled by an announcement in the London Gazetter on the 21st October, 1916, it was not until the 14th April, 1919 that the AIF base records office notified the pension authorities and John Jackson of the cancellation of the DCM that had been awarded to William Jackson VC.

John Jackson, still living and working on Gunbar Station, Gunbar, was then asked to return the official notification he had received concerning the awarding of the DCM to his son more than two years earlier. He replied that he had passed on the notification to Bill who was living at an address unknown to him in Sydney.

Lack of communications between sections of the Army is evident here as the Army was at that time sending William Jackson VC, his pension at his Sydney address.

It was shortly after this that Jackson VC. moved to Merriwa, 300 km, (186 ml) North-West of Sydney, where in 1920 he and Leslie (later Sir Leslie) Morshead. D.S.O. became members of the newly formed R.S.L. Sub Branch. Jackson became a dealer, buying and selling horses and skins and, despite his disability, was building himself a home. He left Merriwa in 1927 to become the licensee of the Figtree Hotel at Figtree, a suburb of Wollongong, for eighteen months.

On the 14th November, 1930 while living in Melbourne, Victoria, he notified the Army that his discharge certificate had been lost in a fire that destroyed his home at Merriwa in 1926. It was then that Jackson was sent his Victory Medal.

During the Depression he had several jobs, including managing a greengrocery business and a position as clerk with the Metropolitan Water, Sewerage & Drainage Board, in Sydney. He married Ivy Muriel Alma Morris, a dressmaker, in Sydney on the 12th January 1932. They had one child a daughter Dorathea.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR During the Second World War Jackson served as Corporal/Acting Sergeant J.W.Jackson VC in Eastern Command Provost Company, No N107906, from 31st March, 1941, till 30th March, 1942.

In December of 1941 Jackson was interrogated by the Army regarding his wearing of a D.C.M. ribbon, he then produced the notification his father had received in January 1917 confirming his being awarded the DCM and denied any knowledge of the cancellation of this award. He further stated that as well as having in his possession the medal, and the official gazette of the medal, the award had also been entered in his pay book and was on his 1917 discharge papers.

It was then suggested to Jackson that he return his D.C.M.. He replied that he would continue to wear his six medals, (V.C., D.C.M., 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1937 King George V1 Coronation Medal), and rather than surrender any of these he would apply for a discharge and let the matter be decided in Court.

The War Office in London while agreeing that the D.C.M., had been cancelled advised that it had no knowledge of any steps ever having been officially taken to recover the medal, it also thought it undesirable to order Jackson to return the decoration.

Jackson was discharged at his request but remarkably less than three weeks later he re-entered the army and served as Corporal J.W. Jackson VC, in the 2nd Australian Labour Company. No. N391402 until 1946. During this time Jackson continued to sign all corrospondence W Jackson VC., DCM.

His service in World War 11 entitled him to wear a further two medals, the 1939/45 War Medal and the 1939/45 Australia Service Medal, then in 1953 as the holder of the Victoria Cross he was a recipient of the 1953 Elizabeth 11 Coronation Medal.

AFTER THE WAR Following his Discharge in 1946, he was again working as a skin buyer, when at 8.30pm on the 5th October, 1946 he was driving a motor lorry that was involved in a four vehicle accident at Waterfall, south of Sydney.

While Jackson himself was fortunate to only suffer minor injuries, two people were killed in the accident. Jackson was charged with two counts of man-slaughter, driving in a dangerous manner and negligent driving.

He appeared before the Wollongong Court of Quarter Sessions to answer these charges on the 13th May, 1947. Evidence for Jackson disclosed that he had been driving this truck for five months.

The truck was fitted in accordance with the restricted licence held by Jackson and this accident was the first he had been involved in during the thirty years he had been driving. Judge Neild, who had served in the same battalion as Jackson during the First World War and knew him by reputation, told the jury this had caused him some embarrassment during the trial. Judge Neild then directed the jury to return their verdict not on anything that he had said but on the facts of the case. The jury found Jackson not guilty and he was discharged.

On moving to Melbourne in 1953 he was appointed as a Commissionnaire and Inquiry attendant at the Melbourne Town Hall. In August 1953 a civic reception for the Governor-General Sir William Slim was disrupted when Slim noticed that his lift driver was wearing the ribbon of a VC, accompanying civic dignitaries were left waiting while Slim spoke at length to Jackson.

During the 1954 Royal Tour Jackson was chosen to unfurl the Royal Standard as the Queen stepped from her car on arrival at the Melbourne Town Hall. He was a guest at the State Dinner given to the Royal Couple in Sydney and again met them when they visited the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney.

Divorced in 1955, he sailed on the SS Orcades for London with 34 other Australian VC recipients in 1956 for the Victoria Cross Centenary Celebrations. While on the voyage Jackson became very ill and spent six weeks in Hospital in England but despite this he managed to attend a garden party at Marlborough House before being flown home.

On recovery Jackson resumed working at the Melbourne Town Hall. He died on the 5th August, 1959 in the Austin Hospital, Heidleburg, Victoria, of an Arteriosclerotic heart disease. At this time he was a member of the Carlton Sub-branch of the RSL.

William Jackson VC was given full Military Honours by Southern Command when cremated at Springvale Cemetery and his ashes were placed in the Boronia Gardens.

The Members Bar at the Merriwa RSL Club is named in his honour. And the club is currently constructing a Rest Area/Park at Gungal 23 km south of Merriwa, which will be known as the William Jackson VC Memorial Park.

Copyright © Harry Willey. 2000. harry_willey@hotmail.com

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
My thanks to Mr Ray Thorburn, Director, Australian Genealogical Education Centre. Kiama, NSW. Mrs Robyn Howard, Hay Historical Society Mrs Carol Douch; Merriwa Historical Society. Mr Bert Gedin, Birmingham, England. Mr Ian Beissel, Hay, The National Archives of Australia, and Bill Jackson VC's daughter for their assistance in researching this story.

The medal

please update if you know where his medal is publicly displayed

Reference

• Harry Willey

See also

External links

• JACKSON J.W.A. (http://www.ozemail.com.au/~vcweb/winners/jackson.htm)
• Private W Jackson (http://www.iol.net.au/~conway/vicross/jackson.html) (photo, brief details)

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