2nd Lt
John Cooper Jackson
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 17/03/1898 |
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Place of birth: Bury, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Second Lieutenant |
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Service number: / |
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Units: — Manchester Regiment, 3rd Bn. attd. 16th Bn. (Attached) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
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Place of death: Zillebeke Bund, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 19 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 53EE |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 1
| #1 | Place of birth |
My story
Second-Lieutenant John Cooper Jackson (3rd Battalion Manchester Regiment) went missing and probably died during the fighting on the 31st of July 1917, while being attached to the 16th Battalion Manchester Regiment, 90th Brigade, 30th Division.
From the 31st of July to the 2nd of August 1917, the Battle of Pilckem Ridge was fought. On the 31st of July 1917, the 90th Brigade had one objective, namely the attack of the Black Line, running from J.14.d.5.5. to J.8.c.5.5.. The 16th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment had to attack a portion of the Blue Line, which ran in a north-west direction from Chapham Junction (J.13.d.9.9.) through Surbiton Villas to J.13.b.4.5.. The 17th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment was in support of the 16th Battalion, and had to leap frog over the Blue Line and attack the Black Line.
The attack by the 16th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment on the portion of the Blue Line was to be carried out in three waves. A Company of the 16th Battalion had to carry out the first wave, and advance as far as the line Jackdaw Support running from J.13.c.77.10. to J.13.c.40.88. Twelve men were to remain in Jackdaw Trench and mop up from J.19.a.05.90. to J.13.c.03.70.. The second wave was to be carried out by B Company of the 16th Battalion, and consisted of an advance as far as the line of Jackdaw Reserve running from J.13.d.20.40. to J.13.a.85.17. During the third and final wave, which had to be carried out by C Company on the right and D Company on the left, both of the 16th Battalion, an advance was to be made to the Blue line and the position was to be consolidated. Each wave was also accompanied by a clean-up of the dug-outs, strong points and trenches in and behind the objectives as far as the next Company’s line.
On the 31st of July 1917, the 16th Battalion moved to its assembly positions at Sanctuary Wood. At 3.50 a.m., the attack began and the 16th Battalion advanced under barrage. There was no hostile barrage. During the first wave, half a dozen casualties fell by being too close to their own barrage fire. A Company, with its objective at Jackdaw Support, gained its line at about 4.15 a.m., with practically no opposition. About 4.30 a.m. B Company reached its objective at Jackdaw Reserve. However, some of B Company went off to the right, and instead of entering Jackdaw Switch got to Stirling Castle stables. C Company reached Clapham Junction and entered there without difficulty and the right platoons took up their positions on the Blue line. Hostile machine gun fire caused a number of casualties.
The left of D Company missed the barrage, and as a result got over the bend of the Ypres-Menin Road with difficulty. They got on with cleaning and clearing the dug-out area north of the bend in Ypres-Menin Road and consolidated a strongpoint situated at about J.13.b.2.4.
At 5.00 a.m. there was confusion at the left edge of Sanctuary Wood near the bend of the Ypres-Menin Road, because a couple of units got mixed up. There were casualties, because of the machine gun and sniping fire from directions of Surbiton Villas and Stirling Castle. Eventually small parties went across the road and mopped up dug-outs and tunnels.
The 17th battalion of the Manchester regiment leapfrogged through the positions gained by the 16th Manchester regiment. However, it was impossible to make progress towards the second objective, due to heavy machine gun fire. Instead, the 17th battalion dug in in front of the German positions at ‘Jargon Trench’.
From 5.00 a.m. onwards, there was an intense German barrage over the whole Sanctuary Wood area.
On the 1st of august 1917, the 16th Battalion of the Manchester regiment was relieved by the 2nd Bedfords, and marched to Château Segard.
It is not entirely clear where exactly Second-Lieutenant John Cooper Jackson fell. It's most likely that he died in the area where the fighting of the 16th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment took place on the 31st of July 1917. The book ‘Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth Battalions. The Manchester Regiment (First city briagde). A record 1914-1918’ mentions that Second-Lieutenant John Cooper Jackson presumably died at Zillebeke Bund.
From the 31st of July to the 2nd of August 1917, the Battle of Pilckem Ridge was fought. On the 31st of July 1917, the 90th Brigade had one objective, namely the attack of the Black Line, running from J.14.d.5.5. to J.8.c.5.5.. The 16th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment had to attack a portion of the Blue Line, which ran in a north-west direction from Chapham Junction (J.13.d.9.9.) through Surbiton Villas to J.13.b.4.5.. The 17th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment was in support of the 16th Battalion, and had to leap frog over the Blue Line and attack the Black Line.
The attack by the 16th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment on the portion of the Blue Line was to be carried out in three waves. A Company of the 16th Battalion had to carry out the first wave, and advance as far as the line Jackdaw Support running from J.13.c.77.10. to J.13.c.40.88. Twelve men were to remain in Jackdaw Trench and mop up from J.19.a.05.90. to J.13.c.03.70.. The second wave was to be carried out by B Company of the 16th Battalion, and consisted of an advance as far as the line of Jackdaw Reserve running from J.13.d.20.40. to J.13.a.85.17. During the third and final wave, which had to be carried out by C Company on the right and D Company on the left, both of the 16th Battalion, an advance was to be made to the Blue line and the position was to be consolidated. Each wave was also accompanied by a clean-up of the dug-outs, strong points and trenches in and behind the objectives as far as the next Company’s line.
On the 31st of July 1917, the 16th Battalion moved to its assembly positions at Sanctuary Wood. At 3.50 a.m., the attack began and the 16th Battalion advanced under barrage. There was no hostile barrage. During the first wave, half a dozen casualties fell by being too close to their own barrage fire. A Company, with its objective at Jackdaw Support, gained its line at about 4.15 a.m., with practically no opposition. About 4.30 a.m. B Company reached its objective at Jackdaw Reserve. However, some of B Company went off to the right, and instead of entering Jackdaw Switch got to Stirling Castle stables. C Company reached Clapham Junction and entered there without difficulty and the right platoons took up their positions on the Blue line. Hostile machine gun fire caused a number of casualties.
The left of D Company missed the barrage, and as a result got over the bend of the Ypres-Menin Road with difficulty. They got on with cleaning and clearing the dug-out area north of the bend in Ypres-Menin Road and consolidated a strongpoint situated at about J.13.b.2.4.
At 5.00 a.m. there was confusion at the left edge of Sanctuary Wood near the bend of the Ypres-Menin Road, because a couple of units got mixed up. There were casualties, because of the machine gun and sniping fire from directions of Surbiton Villas and Stirling Castle. Eventually small parties went across the road and mopped up dug-outs and tunnels.
The 17th battalion of the Manchester regiment leapfrogged through the positions gained by the 16th Manchester regiment. However, it was impossible to make progress towards the second objective, due to heavy machine gun fire. Instead, the 17th battalion dug in in front of the German positions at ‘Jargon Trench’.
From 5.00 a.m. onwards, there was an intense German barrage over the whole Sanctuary Wood area.
On the 1st of august 1917, the 16th Battalion of the Manchester regiment was relieved by the 2nd Bedfords, and marched to Château Segard.
It is not entirely clear where exactly Second-Lieutenant John Cooper Jackson fell. It's most likely that he died in the area where the fighting of the 16th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment took place on the 31st of July 1917. The book ‘Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth Battalions. The Manchester Regiment (First city briagde). A record 1914-1918’ mentions that Second-Lieutenant John Cooper Jackson presumably died at Zillebeke Bund.
Sources 5
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'Manchester Pals. 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd & 23rd Battalions of the Manchester Regiment. A History of the two Manchester Brigades', Michael Stedman, Londen, Leo Cooper, p. 172-176 Sources used |
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'Sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth battalions. The Manchester Regiment (First City Brigade). A record 1914-1918', Sherratt & Hughes, Manchester, 1923, p. 40-43, 73 Sources used |
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CWGC http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1615953/JACKSON,%20JOHN%20COOPER Sources used |
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The Long Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/ Sources used |
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War Diary 16th Bn. Manchester Regiment, 31st of July 1917 http://www.nmarchive.com Sources used |