| Birth: | Apr. 8, 1919 | | Death: | Mar. 26, 1994 | 
British Victoria Cross recipient. Norman Cyril Jackson was born in Ealing in Middlesex. On the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, as an engine fitter. He retrained as a flight engineer and, in July 1943, joined No. 106 Squadron, with the rank of Sergeant. His 31st. mission took place on the night of the 26th. April 1944, in a Lancaster bomber, on the ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt. After the factory had been bombed, the Lancaster was attacked by a German fighter, and the starboard wing caught fire, between the fuselage and the inner engine, and near a petrol tank. Sgt. Jackson was wounded by shell splinters, but he strapped on a parachute, put a fire extinguisher into his jacket, and climbed out of the aircraft (which was travelling at 200 m.p.h.) and on to the fuselage. Unfortunately, his parachute opened before he could reach the fire, and the straps and part of the canopy trailed back into the cockpit. Two of the crew held on to the rigging lines while Jackson tried to get to the fire, but he slipped and lost the fire extinguisher, although he managed to hold on to an air intake on the edge of the wing. The flames were by this time licking at his face and hands, and he was swept over the wing. His comrades released his rigging and baled out themselves (two were killed.) Sergeant Jackson fell twenty thousand feet to the ground, with a partially opened and blazing parachute trailing behind him. Upon landing, he broke his ankle, but managed to crawl to a nearby German village, where he was paraded through the streets and stoned by the inhabitants. He spent ten months in hospital before being taken to the Stalag Kc prisoner of war camp. His first attempt at escape was foiled, but his second succeeded, largely because he managed to make contact with a unit of the American Third Army. Sgt. Jackson was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer. The award of the Victoria Cross was announced in the London Gazette on the 26th. October 1945. In April 2004, his medal was sold at Spink's the Auctioneers, to a private buyer, for the record amount of £235,250. His grave is in the Northern part of the cemetery. (bio by: Iain MacFarlaine)
Search Amazon for Norman Cyril Jackson | | | Burial:
Twickenham Cemetery
Whitton
Greater London, England
Plot: Section O, Grave No. 181 |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Mar 02, 2005
Find A Grave Memorial# 10547602 |
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