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Rifleman William Edward Jackson

 

William Edward Jackson was born on 9 June 1891 at Ballygibbon, Carbury, County Kildare, the last of six children of farmer William Jackson and his wife Hannah (nee Sale). By 1911 he was living with his parents and older sister and working on the family farm.

Jackson enlisted in the North Irish Horse in 1915 or 1916. In November 1916, together with around 100 other North Irish Horsemen, he volunteered to transfer to the Royal Irish Rifles (No.40879). They embarked for France on 7 December, where they joined the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, on the Somme front.

The 1st Battalion saw a great deal of action from 1917 until the end of the war in November 1918. However the role played by Rifleman Jackson is at present unknown.

In December 1918 he was one of 36 members of the battalion presented with a 36th (Ulster) Division 'Complimentary Card'. (See 1st Battalion war diary, 31 December 1918).

Jackson died at Ballygibbon in 1969.