AB John William Jackson, Drake Batt, RND

[michaeldr]

Remembered today on the Great War Forum

Able Seaman JOHN WILLIAM JACKSON,

Service Number R/1097

Died 24/12/1917

Aged 33

Drake Battalion, 63^rd (Royal Naval) Division,  Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Son of Mrs. Mary Ann Jackson, of Friday Bridge, Wisbech, Cambs.

 

On 24^th December 1917 the Drake Battalion came out of the front line  and were replaced by the Nelson Battalion. I don't have the Drake details for that day, but the Nelson history does not mention anything unusual occurring during that change over.

 

And yet 15 men of the Drake Battalion are listed as dying that day, and only four of those have known graves. The others, like John William Jackson, are all remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

 

The RND's Divisional history gives no clue either, except to note that one company of the Drakes had been active on the night of the 22^nd December 1917 when “..at one point, our line was even extended..” [Perhaps there is a date error here???]

 

 

Remembered with Respect

Edited 24 December , 2017 by michaeldr

[horatio2]

The Drakes were the target of some serious enemy shelling starting on 23 December and continuing into the early morning of 24 when the Drakes were pulled out of the line and moved back to Metz. Doubtless some of the 24 Dec casualties were actually sustained on the previous day. The war diary lists 9 killed and 34 wounded for the tour in the line (19-24 Dec).

In a touching afternote, Jackson's ID Disc was received from Germany on 4 May 1920.

[michaeldr]

H2

 

Many thanks for your insights on this case

Supporting your comments above re serious enemy shelling, Geoff's Search Engine turns up no deaths for the days 19-22 December 1917

but two on the 23rd and the fifteen on the 24th which I mentioned above

It looks as though the enemy took the Drake's activity on the 22nd very seriously indeed

 

 

My best wishes to you for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Michael