Thomas
Jackson (11th February 1897 to 27th September 1918)
Normally I visit the graves of
Victoria Cross recipients who have returned from wars and led normal lives but
this poor lad was just 21 years old when he was shot dead in France. Though he’s
buried over there he’s mentioned on the family grave near Rotherham so I went
to have a look and do a stiff salute (well worth the petrol.) I almost didn’t
find it on account of a brimming bladder. As I arrived in the town the spire
above the trees guided me to this church but I was so desperate to wee that I
raced up the drive passing the red wreath on the grave at the foot of the
drive. I must have spent fifty minutes walking around the cemetery searching for
the grave. It wasn’t a waste of time really - a morning in an English setting in
warm sunlight. Eventually I went down to the foot of the drive and spotted the
patch of red. The wreath pulled me toward it and here I am at the Jackson family
grave. It’s a shame Thomas isn’t buried here thousands of soldiers killed in World
War One were quickly buried near to where they died.
In 1918 the 21-year-old Thomas was a
Lance-Corporal in the 1st Battalion of the Coldstream
Guards. He was fighting under the command of Captain Frisby.
They were at the Canal du Nord, a 59 mile long canal in northern France, built
to shift tons of coal. Though construction began in 1908 it stopped in 1914 as
the First World War commenced (it would not resume construction until 1959.)
Armed and dangerous Germans were on the other side of the canal. Little is known
about Thomas’s death but Captain Frisby asked for volunteers
to follow him cross the canal to attack a German machine-gun post. Thomas was
the first to volunteer. On the morning of Friday 27th September he and another
two volunteers joined Captain Frisby as they crossed
the canal and rushed at the machine-gun. This was successful as they captured
two machine-guns, allowing the allied forces to advance. However later that
morning as they moved forward clearing the German line Thomas jumped into a
trench, shot two soldiers but was shot in the head.
I noticed the family gravestone was leaning
forward slightly as though Jackson family are trying to get a clear view of the
red wreath. They must have been as proud as they were worried about the lad who'd
joined the Army aged 19. He’d worked as a fitter in an iron works and then as a
train-cleaner at the local Mexborough Locomotion Depot. Still nineteen he left
home to fight but never returned. When you read about people cheating money out
of others, the government or companies for maximum you despair but when you
come across people like Thomas you feel a bit better. I did a hearty salute as
some workmen walked up the driveway. Later I got back in the car parked up at
the church and as the workmen went back down the drive they stopped to read the
grave. I'd left an A5 piece of paper with my website details by the wreath. I
hope they visited my website and looked at Victoria Cross section and gave
those lads ten minutes of thought.
Thomas lies under soil at Sanders Keep Military
Cemetery in Graincourt-les-Havrincourt.
One day I will visit him to do a second salute. I'll also visit Captain Frisby who very probably saw Thomas's newly dead body. He
survived the war, lived to 75, was also awarded a Victoria Cross medal and now
lies in a Surrey cemetery.
The grave in France…
Thomas is buried in the countryside
in France…
I passed this grave. Did someone
drop a seed on the coffin lid?
Life among all this death…
