Bridge of Weir
Memorial

CAPT GEO JACKSON 18^TH H.L.I.

Captain George Jackson

18th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry

killed in action 25th August 1917

aged 25

Villers Faucon Communal Cemetery
Ranfurly Church Memorial, Bridge of Weir
Ranfurly Castle Golf Club Memorial
Paisley Grammar School Memorial
Glasgow Academy Memorial
Kilbarchan Cemetery

Son of William Jackson and Jean Bain
Woodholm, Bridge of Weir

His Life

Brothers George and Andrew Jackson were both killed in World War I. George was born on 23rd September 1891 at 8 St. Alban's Terrace, Dowanhill, Partick, the son of William Cowan Jackson, of Jackson Brothers, Glasgow, and Jean Lang Bain, from Kirkintilloch who had married on 8th August 1890 in Blythswood, Glasgow.

In 1891 William (33) and Jean (27) were living in 8 Highburgh Road, Partick, Glasgow. William was a Sugar Merchant. Grace Chisholm (13) from Keith, Banffshire, was their domestic servant.

By 1901, they had three sons and were living in Highburgh, Donaldfield Road, Bridge of Weir. The three boys, including George (9), were all at school. Elizabeth McGibbon (18) and May Hamilton (18) were domestic servants.

By 1911 the family had moved to Woodholm, Ranfurly, Bridge of Weir and William senior was still a sugar merchant. George (19) was a clerk to a provision merchant; Andrew was a stockbroker's clerk; William junior was still at school. There were no servants in residence.

George was educated at Paisley Grammar School and Glasgow Academy and served in the Territorial Army in the 9th (Glasgow Highlanders) Battalion, HLI. He entered the theatre of war in France in November 1914 as a Private with the first detachment of Territorials to leave the district.

In April 1915 he received his commission as a Lieutenant. He was transfered to 18th HLI and early in 1916 he was promoted to Captain. He was attached to the Staff for a few months and re-joined his Battalion only a few days before he was killed near Epehy on 25th August 1917. A British attack taking Guillemont Farm had been followed by a German counter-attack on the same position. Captain Jackson led his men on a further counter-attack when he was killed leading from the front. He is buried a few miles from where he fell in Villers Faucon between Peronne and Cambrai in the Somme departement.

George was the second of the two Jackson brothers to fall.

Siblings

Sources

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• Scottish National War Memorial
• George Jackson birth certificate, 23 September 1891. Regd. Partick, Glasgow 9th Oct 1891.
• 1901 UK Census: Parish: Kilbarchan; ED:3; Page:7; Line:16; Roll: CSSCT1901_188.
• 1911 UK Census: Parish: Kilbarchan; Ward: Bridge of Weir. Page 16. Lines 14-18. 559/0B 004/ 00 016.
• Paisley and Renfrewshire Gazette
• 19th September 1914: Roll of Honour George Jackson, Woodholm 9th H.L.I.
• 8th September 1917: Intimation has been received that Captain George Jackson H.L.I. was killed in action on 25th August. He was the eldest son of Mr William C. Jackson of Messrs Jackson Bros, Glasgow. He went to the front as a Private with the first detachment of the Territorials to leave the district. He was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Jackson, Woodholm, Bridge of Weir.
• 29th September 1917: CAPTAIN GEORGE JACKSON: BRIDGE OF WEIR OFFICER FALLS: Captain George Jackson, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Jackson, Woodholm, Bridge of Weir, whose death, in action, was recently referred to, was a young man well known and esteemed in the district. Capt. Jackson had seen much active service in France, joining the colours at the outbreak of war and proceeding to the front in November, 1914, as a private with the Glasgow Highlanders. In April, 1915, he was commissioned Lieutenant in another Highland regiment, returning to France in January, 1916, where he was made a Captain a short time after. He had been attached to the Staff for the last few months, and had only rejoined his battalion a few days when he made the supreme sacrifice in an attack. He was educated at Paisley Grammar School and Glasgow Academy, and was engaged in his father's business before the war. It will interest his many friends to know that, in a letter to his parents, the Colonel of the regiment tells of the manner of the gallant Captain's death in the following terms: - "On the 25th, the enemy attacked the position we recently took from him. Your son organised a counter-attack, and led it most gallantly and was killed in so doing. He died a soldier's death, leading his men. He was a splendid officer, and one in whom the men had implicit confidence. Please accept from me and all my officers and men our most sincere sympathy in the great loss which you have sustained. You have lost a son of whom you may well be proud, and the country has lost a brave soldier and a good leader".
• War Diaries. 18th Highland Light Infantry. WO95-2490. National Archives.
  • GUILLEMONT FARM. 25th August 1917. Report on enemy attack on GUILLEMONT FARM on 25th Aug., 1917.
    The Battalion relieved the 19th. D.L.I. in GUILLEMONT FARM on night 24th/25th, 1917 about midnight. The night was quiet and the only sounds heard were of the enemy wiring his line.
    About 4 a.m. the enemy commenced shelling in the rear of the FARM, and this shell fire gradually increased in intensity until 4.15 a.m. when a very intense shell and trench mortar bombardment was opened on the posts. So intense and accurate was the shooting that within a few minutes, practically the whole line was laid flat, a great number of the garrison being buried or killed, bombs & rifles buried, and most of the Lewis Guns being put out of action.
    After about 15 minutes of this intense bombardment, the enemy attacked the line in strong force. Owing to the smoke and dust it was difficult to see where the attack was developing, but it appears to have been carried out as follows.
    On each flank an attack was carried out along the trench to each flank block. In addition, an attack was made up the two communication trenches leading to C and G Posts respectively. The right flank held alright and beat off the enemy, but the left flank was not faring as well meantime. On this flank the casualties were very heavy and out of the 70 men in Posts only some 14-20 survived. There were no bombs left and those rifles which were still in action jammed after a few rounds had been fired. The only Lewis Gun in action when the attack developed was smashed after firing half a magazine. Of the three officers on this flank, one was wounded, a second buried and badly shocked and the third slightly wounded and buried but still remaining at duty. The enemy attacked in strength estimated as 1 company on K Post. Of this Post only 1 man survived and despite the efforts of the remainder of the posts, the enemy succeeded in effecting an entrance by bombing and siezed the trench junction at K. He thereupon entered the Northern C.T. through the FARM and bombed down to cut off the garrison at K8 & G Posts of which only a few survived and they retired fighting to F Post. This post was still holding out and continued to hold until the enemy commenced to bomb across towards the Southern C.T. in the FARM, when they were forced to withdraw to avoid being surrounded. The enemy meantime forced an entrance at A Post all the garrison being killed or wounded, and had attacked frontally with companies between G and K'. The remnants of C & F posts, having no bombs and very few rifles working, were drawn back down GLASGOW Trench and joined forces with that garrison establishing a block in the trench.
    The counter-attack platoon on the right held this block and co-operated in holding the block at hedge on S. side of the FARM and junction of that trench with DOG Trench. On the left a block was made at trench junction W. of BLUNT NOSE and a clearing party moved up trench behind CRATER to Garrison it. Reinforcements were hurried up from DOLEFUL and KEN, and these having got up through a heavy barrage, a counter-attack on STOKES Trench was led by Captain G. JACKSON who was commanding the left company. This attack was caught by the enemy barrage and two attempts to advance were forced back, Captain G. JACKSON being killed and another officer wounded in this attempt. The left flank support platoon was meantime supporting the counter-attack and holding the approach by MACQUINCOURT VALLEY, the Vickers Gun in BLUNT NOSE having been smashed by shell fire....
    Our casualties were heavy, amounting to some 160 in all. Of the 5 officers in the posts at the time of the attack, 2 were wounded, 2 shell-shocked and 1 wounded & missing. Of the coutner-attacking Officers, 1 was killed and 1 wounded...
    I very much regret that the Battalion should have lost a position so recently taken by them, but they did not do so without having put up a splendid fight and having accounted for very many of the enemy.
    R.R. LAWRENSON, Lt-Col., Commanding, 18th.(S) Bn. Highland Light Infantry.
• Kilbarchan Cemetery Monumental Inscription:
  o Sacred to GEORGE JACKSON Captain 18th H. L. I. killed in action in France near Epehy 25th Aug. 1917 aged 25 years buried at Villers Faucon. Also in loving memory of ANDREW BAIN JACKSON Gunner M. M. G. who died 27th Jan. 1917 aged 23 years WILLIAM COWAN JACKSON died at Woodholm Bridge of Weir 23rd Aug. 1925 aged 67 years JEAN LANG BAIN who died 5th March 1959 aged 96 years beloved wife of WILLIAM COWAN JACKSON also WILLIAM MORRISON JACKSON who died 14th Aug. 1968 aged 72 years. JACKSON.
• Glasgow Academy Roll of Honour, Jackson, Wylie & Co., Glasgow 1933
  o JACKSON, George: 2nd Lieutenant: Captain: 9th (G.H.) Battn. Highland Light Infantry; 18th Battn. Highland Light Infantry: Killed in action, 25th August, 1917: France, 1914-1917.
• de Ruvigny Roll of Honour, Vol 3, page 151

• Medals: Victory, British War, 1914-15 Star.

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