JACKSON, Clarence Frederick

DIVISIONAL UNIT:        1st Canadian Infantry Division
                                             2nd Infantry Brigade
                                             5th Battalion  -  Western Cavalry
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   3130245
RESIDENCE:                    Brussels – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:        May 13, 1897
                                             Arkona – Lampton County - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           September 1, 1918               21 years     3 months
CEMETERY:                     Upton Wood Cemetery – Hendecourt-les-Cagnicourt –
                                             Pas de Calais – France
                                                  D     24
PARENTS:                         Mr. Frederick and Margaret Jackson – Arkona - Ontario
Occupation:                        Bank Clerk                           Religion:     Methodist
Enlistment:                         January 3, 1918 at London - Ontario
Enlistment Age:                 20 years     7 months

The name of this man is on the cenotaph in the town of Brussels. We have checked all the other names of Clarence Jackson and Frederick Jackson with the Archives in Ottawa and this is the only individual who could be a match.
Private Jackson set sail from Halifax and Canada on the S.S. Grampian and arrived in Liverpool on February 6, 1918 and transferred to the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion before transferring to the 47th Battalion based at Witley on June 1, 1918.
Then on August 11, 1918 he is Taken on Strength by the 5th Battalion, goes overseas and joins his unit in the field.
Private Jackson was with his unit two weeks before losing his life performing his military duties.
Private Jackson and the men of his Company were involved in an attack from south-east of Vis-en-Artois on enemy held lines and then east of Hendecourt-les-Cagnicourt – Dury Road, he was struck in the head by enemy shrapnel and he died immediately.
Winds are north-east, the ground was dry with good visibility. The advance would be over open ground, rolling in long ridges and dotted with some woods. At 4:50 am the barrage opened up and as soon as the Battalion advanced they were met by heavy enemy machine-gun posts and redoubts. Casualties came rapidly. “A” Company had no machine gun ammunition and were now surrounded but “D” Company rushed the enemy who then surrendered. “B” Company had taken heavy losses. The enemy redoubts on the Hendicourt-les-Cagnicourt Road were overrun and captured and the Battalion crossed the road and the objective enemy trenches entered at 5:45 am. “A” Company had been reduced to 20 men and were reinforced by “D” Company.
The enemy artillery was heavy and the Battalion was subjected to heavy fire. At noon the enemy counter-attacked and “D” Company was forced back and they were then reinforced. Then the call went out for ammunition as all Companies were in heavy fighting and running low on ammunition. Parties were despatched to get ammunition.
The right flank continued the advance and the left flank checked the enemy counter-attack and forced the enemy to retire.
By 2 pm the Battalion was well established.
The casualties killed, wounded and missing during this day of heavy fighting were numbered at 235 men.