7011135 William John JACKSON, 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers: 1940

Discussion in '1940' started by jaxnkelly, Oct 17, 2012.

  1. jaxnkelly

    jaxnkelly Junior Member

    Hello

    Im looking for any information about the royal irish fusiliers 1st battalion.

    My granddad was Serjent William John Jackson 7011135 killed on 27 Oct 1943 storming Termoli Italy.

    We have just had a letter translated that was sent to my nan back in 1945. It was from a family in Lezennes Lille. Unfortunatly it was sent 2 years after he died.

    The letter reads

    With all due respect, i am writing these few lines. A lot of people in our village heard of the soldiers that they had accommodated in 1940. we have thought of all of you a lot. my husband Edmond and i would be glad to know how you and your children are fine.

    Have you heard of our Willie? He had promised thet he would never forget us and we talk about him every single day. He was so nice to us!

    Kind regards
    Mrs A Turbelin
    45 Zola Street
    Lezennes par Hellemmes
    Lille

    Love from Mummy Georges, Jeanne and Mimi.

    We would love to know what my grandad was doing in Lille and how he became so close with this family.

    If anybody has any info about Lille in 1940 and what they was doing or anything else about the 1st Bat up to 1943 i would love to hear from you.

    Michael
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Is there a date regarding his stay in Lille?
     
  3. jaxnkelly

    jaxnkelly Junior Member

    Unfortunatly not. All we know was he was with this family in 1940. then pulled out at Dunkirk. then went on to Africa and finaly Italy.
     
  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    All I can find in the diary so far is the Battalion moved from Beleghem to La Bassee via Lille by Troop Transport on the night of 20th/21st May.
     
  5. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    The definitive history of the 1st R IrF's (Faughs') actions near to Dunkirk, and their valiant defensive stand at the La Bassee Canal can be found in John Horsfall's "Say Not the Struggle" - he was then D Coy OC, and later to become commanding officer of both the Faughs and the London Irish Rifles during 1944/45.

    I haven't currently got the book myself (but I shall within a few days):

    Excerpt :

    "On 27 May, D Company was ordered to an obscure place called Lestrem, with instructions to defend the river bridges until either the 4th Infantry Brigade or the Germans arrived, acting suitably according to which of them came first."

    Just a point of clarity, I see that your Granddad William was killed on 27th Oct 1943, and might suggest that he was actually killed in the dreadfully difficult nighttime assault on San Salvo just to the north of the River Trigno - one of the Faughs' most difficult days during the Second War (and they had a few).

    best,
     
  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    30 days to Dunkirk by Gough who was the Bn CO at the time covers the period of May in a bit of detail. I've read Goughs book and it reads like a report. Horsfall's book is on my shelf but haven't got round to it yet.

    The diary contains 238 pages.
     
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Sounds like they only passed through Lille in May.
    The letter sounds like the soldiers were billeted with the family.
    Was the Bn there earlier in the year or was Lille a leave centre during the Phoney War at all?
     
  8. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    The Bn wasn't at Lille during the 'Phoney War'. Not sure about a leave centre, it could be, but I'm not reading that much of the diary. Rich may know though, as we have both read the book of the 'copper' based there in 1940. Name escapes my memory at the moment.....

    Thinking back to 2010 I think Paul Reed did a documentary on this Bn for BBC1 with Dan Snow.
     
  9. jaxnkelly

    jaxnkelly Junior Member

    I found this today on Welcome... - Irish Brigade

    On it the date is the 6th but on his war grave its the 27th.

    This is why he was awarded the MM.

    SERGEANT WJ JACKSON. OCT 1943 -TERMOLI.

    "At TERMOLI on 6 October 1943 Sgt Jackson was commanding a platoon of A Coy during an attack on enemy positions NORTH of S.GIACOMO.

    Throughout the attack Sgt Jackson commanded his platoon on an outstanding manner. He continually directed the fire of his brens onto enemy posts and personally led assault groups to clear these positions. His platoon was the first into a large factory which was well known to be an enemy strong point.

    Sgt Jackson’s magnificent leadership, cheery confidence and complete disregard of his own safety were fine inspiration to his men."
     
  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    All I can find in the diary so far is the Battalion moved from Beleghem to La Bassee via Lille by Troop Transport on the night of 20th/21st May.

    I've just checked both of the books mentioned and there's no more mentions of Lille.
     
  11. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    In the interests of full disclosure - it's my/my brother's web site...

    Yes, Sgt Jackson was awarded his MM for the breakout from the Termoli bridgehead on Oct 6th before dying three weeks later on 27th Oct...truly dreadful.

    At San Salvo, virtually all the officers of the 4 Fusilier companies of the RIrF were killed or wounded. Their CO Lt-Col Butler was killed. Many had served in France in 1940.

    If you've got good eye sight - these are three pages from the Faughs' war diaries from 27/28 Oct 1943.

    best
     

    Attached Files:

  12. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Hello

    Im looking for any information about the royal irish fusiliers 1st battalion.

    My granddad was Serjent William John Jackson 7011135 killed on 27 Oct 1943 storming Termoli Italy.

    We have just had a letter translated that was sent to my nan back in 1945. It was from a family in Lezennes Lille. Unfortunatly it was sent 2 years after he died.

    The letter reads

    With all due respect, i am writing these few lines. A lot of people in our village heard of the soldiers that they had accommodated in 1940. we have thought of all of you a lot. my husband Edmond and i would be glad to know how you and your children are fine.

    Have you heard of our Willie? He had promised thet he would never forget us and we talk about him every single day. He was so nice to us!

    Kind regards
    Mrs A Turbelin
    45 Zola Street
    Lezennes par Hellemmes
    Lille

    Love from Mummy Georges, Jeanne and Mimi.

    We would love to know what my grandad was doing in Lille and how he became so close with this family.

    If anybody has any info about Lille in 1940 and what they was doing or anything else about the 1st Bat up to 1943 i would love to hear from you.

    Michael

    Just a view after further looking at Horsfall - the highlighted section in the note suggests that the Faughs were billeted in a "village", which Lille most certainly wasn't, so perhaps the family had moved to Lille after 1940 - the Faughs were based south/south west of Lille from the time they landed in France in October 1939 until they moved across the Belgian frontier in May 1940..

    just a thought.
     
  13. jaxnkelly

    jaxnkelly Junior Member

    All of the family thought he was awarded the MM when he was killed. You have given me so much more to research for my dad.
    Thank you all for your help.
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Only VC's GC's and MiD's were awarded posthumously during WW2. He may have been recommended it for an earlier action but died before it was approved. The best place to look for clues for that could be the Battalions war diary in the appendices.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  15. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Just to "complete" the background, I attach a copy of the MM citation for Sgt Jackson.

    You'll note that the citation was originated by Lt-Col Butler on 9 Oct 1943, and then passed onto Brigadier Scott, Maj-General Evelegh, Lt-General Dempsey, and General Montgomery, before Alex's final sign off.

    The MM was confirmed in the London Gazette on 10th Feb 1944, 3 1/2 months after your grand father's death, by which time Lt-Col Butler had also been killed (on 27th Oct 1943 as well).

    On the 27th Oct, the OC A Company, Major Paddy Proctor MC and all A Company's platoon commanders were also killed by a mortar bomb that fell among them as they were planning to attack the final ridge at San Salvo.

    And to confirm the Faughs' whereabouts from November 1942 onwards as part of the 1st/8th Armies.

    Nov 1942 - leave Liverpool for Algiers
    Dec 1942 to Mar 1943 - in Tunisia, near to Bou Arada/Goubellat,
    Apr 1943 to May 1943 - in the Tunisian mountains, north of Medjez-el-Bab (Djebel Mahdi/Tanngoucha)
    Jun 1943 to Jul 1943 - in Algeria/Tunisia at rest/training, latterly near to Hammamet.
    Aug 1943 - in Sicily landing at Syracuse, and then fighting at Centuripe, Salso and Simeto Rivers.
    Sep 1943 - in Sicily at rest/in training at Patti.
    Oct 1943 to Dec 1943 - in Italy fighting at Termoli, San Salvo, Sangro River, and thence to the Moro River.
     

    Attached Files:

  16. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    He's not showing a MM on his headstone looking at the info on CWGC. I would confirm with one of the Italian chaps if this is the case on his headstone and send CWGC a copy of the citation to rectify the error.

    CWGC - Casualty Details
     
  17. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    It would be rather fitting to assure the full medal notation on Sgt Jackson's CWGC entry before the 70th anniversary of his death.

    best
     
  18. jaxnkelly

    jaxnkelly Junior Member

    Just for an update. we have been in contact with CWGC and they will be updating his headstone to show the MM.

    Thanks again for all your help
     
  19. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Very good news...

    best
     
  20. irishmike37

    irishmike37 New Member

    Replying two years after you posted your comment. My father's cousin was Major Paddy Proctor who was killed on the 27th October 1943. He and his platoon were killed instantly by mortar. So it is very possible that my father's cousin could have known him. I have just attched a photo of his headstone which is in the Sangro River War Cemetary, Italy. He was a member of the Royal Irish Fusiliers. Major PAddy Proctor.jpg
     

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