Jackson, H (Harry)

Jackson, H (Harry)
Lance Bombardier Harry Jackson was an unmarried man from London. He had joined the army during April 1941.
At 7:10pm on the 6th of June 1942, Captain Henry D. Whitley received a phone call that a serious accident had happened in the army barracks near Limavady. He rushed to the scene and met the ambulance on the way. The driver signalled that a wounded man was onboard, and it stopped to allow the captain onboard. It was clear straight away that the soldier had passed away from the effects of two bullet wounds to the chest and to the throat. Anyone of which could have caused his death. It was determined that the man died from suffocation caused by blood entering his airways. It was Harry Jackson.
Earlier in the day at 2pm, Harry and another soldier called Gunner George J. Balcombe began disassembling a Lewis machinegun. The pair, along with several other soldiers were on twenty-four-hour duty. By 2:45pm they had cleaned and reassembled the weapon. The two men then covered it with a ground sheet and went off duty for a few hours rest. During the time that the men were at rest, Gunner H.J. Butterfield, examined the weapon and found it not cocked and with the safety catch on.
At 6pm the soldiers resumed their duties and an hour later found George trying to sight the gun in a horizontal position. Harry was standing to his right. The gun was now brought to the shoulder position of the soldier. As he looked along the sights, his hands grabbed the trigger of the weapon, which was still partially covered with the ground sheet. Unknown to George, Harry had now moved positions. As the gun was positioned it discharged some rounds straight at Harry. For some reason unknown to anyone, the weapon was loaded, cocked and the safety catch was off. Lance Bombardier Harry Jackson staggered, then grabbed some rails in front of the gun and finally collapsed to the ground. An ambulance was immediately called.
Harry Jackson was buried a few days later with a full military funeral. An inquiry was also held later in the month. It deemed the entire incident to be an unfortunate accident and cleared Gunner George J. Balcombe of any wrong.
Date of Death: 06/06/1942
Service: Lance Bombardier, 423 Battery., Royal Artillery, 126 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment.
Service Number: 1796824
Burial Location: Grave 4.