Name
William John Jackson
5 June 1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/04/1915
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
14413
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
OOSTTAVERNE WOOD CEMETERY
VI. H. 15.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Church of St Nicholas Memorial, Norton, Odsey Village Memorial, Not on the Letchworth memorials, Not on the Bygrave memorials
Pre War
William Jackson was born in Bygrave, nr Baldock, Herts on 5 June 1893, the son of William and Elizabeth Jackson (nee Barwick) of Bygrave, Hertfordshire. He was one of fourteen children, but nine had died in infancy.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at North Road, Bygrave where his father was working as a carpenter. By 1911 they had moved to 50 Common View, Letchworth at which time, William was working as a farm labourer.
Wartime Service
William enlisted at Letchworth and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, serving with the 1st Battalion in France and Belgium from 11 March 1915 under Regimental Number 14413.
He was initially listed as missing in action and presumed killed in action on 11 April 1915 when the Battalion were in trenches opposite Hill 60, as reported in the Citizen newspaper of 28 May 1915. It is believed he was shot by a sniper. He was buried near where he died and his body was located at the end of the war and found at map ref. 28.1.29.c.95.25. He was identified by his identity disc and paybook and re-interred in Oostaverne Wood Cemetery in Belgium.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £17 13s 6d. Pension records exist in relation to William and his brother George but give no indication of the amount of pension paid.
Brother to George Jackson who served with the Royal Engineers and died of illness on 7 February 1919.
The connection to Odsey has yet to be determined.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Dan Hill, Ellen Barnes, Jonty Wild, Lynette Wray, www.roll-of-honour.com
