Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Michael William Gerard Jackson, known as Gerard and with a nickname of Stoney, was born on 26 February 1889 at Waimate, the elder son of Daniel and Elizabeth Anne (née O’Brien) Jackson. Daniel and Elizabeth married in 1885. Their three children were all born at Waimate – Lillie Winifred Esther (known as Winifred) in 1886, Gerard in 1889 and Terence in 1892. Daniel, who was a hotel keeper, and Elizabeth moved to Timaru, where Daniel died on 21 October 1898. His funeral service was held at St Augustine’s Church, Waimate, and he was buried at Waimate. Elizabeth stayed on at Timaru until at least 1901, so it is likely that Gerard received his primary education here.

In 1911, Gerard was a stage hand, living with his widowed mother in central Dunedin. He enlisted on 6 December 1915 at Dunedin, simply as Gerard Jackson. He was a stage hand for Graham Moffat Company Dunedin, single and Anglican. His address was 37A Moray Place, Dunedin, as for his mother whom he named as next-of-kin. Later Mrs Jackson was at the Douglas Private hotel, Dunedin. Gerard Jackson was in a group of six men who left Dunedin for Trentham on 6 December 1915 to make up the deficiency in the Tenth Reinforcements.

Private G. Jackson embarked with the Auckland Infantry Battalion of the 11th Reinforcements, departing from Wellington for Suez, Egypt, on 1 April 1916. Having disembarked at Suez on 3 May, he was off to France almost immediately, leaving Alexandria for Marseilles on 10 May. He joined the 2nd Auckland Infantry Battalion in the Field on 6 July. Just two months later, he was killed in action – on 15 September 1916 at the Somme, France. Private G. Jackson is remembered on the Caterpillar Valley (New Zealand) Memorial, Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, Somme, France. A death notice was inserted in the Otago Witness of 4 October 1916 – “JACKSON. – On September 15, 1916, killed while in action, Private Gerard Jackson (Stoney), (A Company, 11th Reinforcements), dearly loved eldest son of Mrs E. A. Jackson and the late Daniel Jackson; aged 27 years. Thy will be done.” Gerard appointed his sister, Lily Winifred Esther Wilson as executrix of his estate. He made provision for his mother, his sister and his brother. It was to Winifred that his medals (British War Medal and Victory Medal) were sent. An In Memoriam notice was inserted in the Otago Daily Times on 15 September 1917 – “In proud and loving memory . . . .” by W.W. Perhaps his sister, Winifred Wilson.

From 6 October 1916, the name of Private M. W. G. Jackson appeared regularly on the Waimate Daily Advertiser Roll of Honour under the sub-title of The Supreme Sacrifice. His name is inscribed on the Waimate War Memorial. The Waimate War Memorial was unveiled following the Anzac Day service on 25 April 1923, the parade reforming to march to the park. Lieutenant-Colonel Newman Wilson, D.S.O., M.C., a Waimate man who served with distinction in the war, was invited to unveil the memorial. ‘Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson said that it was a matter for congratulation to the district and relations of those who are no longer with us that the splendid memorial had been erected. It was an outward expression of the high regard and esteem in which they held those who at the call of duty and danger did their job.

“We who are left behind,” he said, “feel that there is little we can do compared to those who gave their all. We must keep Anzac Day as a holy day and not as a holiday, not only must we tell them the brave story but also must we tell them of the awful cost — through the great sorrow we must learn wisdom.” In conclusion Colonel Wilson said he would repeat the last lines of Kipling’s Recessional Hymn:

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget, lest we forget.

“I unveil this memorial to the glory of God and in honourable memory to those who gave their all for us and freedom.”’ A prayer of dedication, the firing of three volleys and the sounding of the “Last Post” followed, after which many beautiful wreaths were placed at the foot of the arch by returned men and relations of the fallen. The memorial which takes the form of a beautiful arch at Victoria Park records on marble tablets the names of those from the district who died in the Great War. Above the tablets is the inscription: “The glorious dead: the names liveth forever more.” Included among the names is M. W. G Jackson.

Mrs Elizabeth Anne Jackson, late of Timaru and widow of Daniel Jackson of Waimate, died suddenly at her residence, Club House, Moray Place, Dunedin, on 21 August 1933. She was buried at Andersons Bay Cemetery. Gerard’s brother, Terence Mitchell Jackson, had been called up in 1917. He died, unmarried, in 1948 and was buried with his mother. Winifred and William Wilson appear to have had no children.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [27 July 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [27 July 2022]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [27 July 2022]; Otago Daily Times, 7 December 1915, 15 September 1917, Otago Witness, 4 October 1916, Waimate Daily Advertiser, 9 October 1916, 30 May 1918, 26 April 1923, Timaru Herald, 26 April 1923, 14 October 1929 (Papers Past) [18 September 2019; 07 May 2022; 21 June 2022; 27 July 2022]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.