Looking at life and death of World War One soldier from Lancaster in run-up to Remembrance Sunday

Frank Jackson holds the melancholy distinction of being the first soldier from Ellel Parish to die as a result of active service in world war one, but he had many links with Lancaster and a

rare survival of his burial is kept to this day in Ellel Parish Church.

Born in 1893 in Carnforth, Frank was the Son of Lancelot and Ellen Marcy Jackson, of The Lodge, Yealand Conyers, Carnforth.

Later moving to Bailrigg, Frank attended Scotforth School and was a keen member of the Sons of temperance society.

Frank’s Father was the joiner for Mr Storey at his Bailrigg home and also the electric light attendant (it was too dangerous for Mr Storey to switch his own lights on at the time!)

In 1911, Frank was listed in the census as an apprentice gardener living at “the Bungalow” Bailrigg.

He had an older brother, Lancelot Henry, and two sisters, Mary Isabel and Alice Ellen. He also had a younger brother Edward.

He joined the 5th Battalion of the Kings Own at The Drill hall in Phoenix street in 1911 and was promoted to Corporal around 1913.

He may not have had to go into Lancaster on drill nights though as Galgate had so many Territorials they held their own drill nights -it is believed- at the institute in Stoney Lane.

Following some training and home defence work Frank arrived in France on February 14 1915 with the rest of the 1/5th Battalion.

At the time of Franks’s death, the 1/5 were in the Ypres Salient as part of the 83rd brigade 28th Division.

The Battalion history published in 1921 (Hodgkinson) remarks of May 8 to 10: “On May 8, the day the Colonel was wounded, the Battalion was ordered to GHQ lines to support. We lost some of B Company from a shell as the men fell in and were heavily shelled in GHQ lines until ordered to advance to retake lost trenches and to take on the remnants of the 2nd Battalion Kings Own and the Monmouths.

"The advance took place under heavy shell fire and enfilade fire from machine guns on the Polijze road. A line was occupied 1,200 yards in front of the GHQ lines but a bayonet charge at 8pm failed to carry the advance further. Five Officers in addition to the Colonel were wounded that day. Total casualties for the day were one officer killed and six wounded, 15 NCO’s and men killed and 96 wounded. 10 NCO’s and men died of wounds later.”

Frank was terribly wounded on May 8 and the Nursing Sister (reported as Sister Medfutt or Metcalfe- more likely the latter) at Eight casualty clearing station wrote to Frank’s mother the day after he died: “ He was wounded in the back (spine) and his foot was broken. He was paralysed when he came here and suffered very little pain. He had every care and attention; he was only here

two days.”

As it was relatively early days for the Army casualty reporting service this news officially reached Franks devasted parents a few days later.

Frank’s obituary in the Lancaster Observer dated May 21 1915 records the Memorial service at Galgate C of E Church conducted by the Rev Frank Coleman.

“At the commencement of the service the organist played “O rest in the Lord” whilst the choir sang the 39 th Psalm. At the conclusion, the organist played the dead march in Saul”

Franks death was heavily reported in the Lancaster Guardian at the time- along with the many other casualties from the 1/5 th Kings Own.

At the end of May 8, the fighting strength of 1/5th King’s Own was less than 200 men-it had been nearly 1,000 at the beginning of April.

83 Brigade lost 4,507 killed, wounded or missing between April 23 and May 8.

These men were those who worked in Lancaster Shops, factories and who had been to school together.

Killed in the same battle as Frank -but in late April -and also in the 1/5th was Clifford Mawson, the third son of the famous landscape gardener Thomas Mawson who laid out the gardens

of Bailrigg house .

As they were in the same unit, the same rank and involved with gardening it is highly likely that Frank and Cliff would have been acquainted.

Frank was buried in BAILLEUL Communal Cemetery extension, plot II. A. 89., (NORD), France,and he was awarded the 1915 star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Frank’s original Grave Marker cross was bought back from France around 1925 by his parents when the permanent stone was erected.

The option of collecting the grave marker was given to all relatives though few did so.

Frank’s grave marker was placed in the Churchyard of St Johns church near the west window until 1967 when it was bought inside the church to help preserve it.

It can be seen today in the Vestry. It also appears every year on remembrance Sunday.

Other relics of Frank include a splendid photo of him taken at Bailrigg in his full dress uniform on promotion to Corporal.

The photo is on a plate glass negative and was later colourised in 2021 as part of the centenary commemorations of the Ellel war memorial.

Frank Jackson and Cliff Mawson are both also commemorated on the Lancaster War memorial.