Captain James Joseph Bernard Jackman VC (19 March 1916 – 26 November 1941) was an Irish posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of an enemy that can be awarded to British and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces.

Details

Jackman was 25 years old, and a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

commanding Z Company of the 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, part of the 70th Division, during the Second World War when the following deed took place during

Operation Crusader Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War by the British Eighth Army (United Kingdom), Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) ...

for which he was awarded the VC. His citation in the

London Gazette London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

reads:

The medal

Jackman's Cross found its final home at his alma mater,

Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst College is a co-educational Catholic Church, Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Society of Jesus, Jesuit tradition, on the Stonyhurst, Stonyhurst Estate, Lancashire, England. It occupies a Grade I listed building. Th ...

, on permanent loan from his late sister's family.

References

Listed in order of publication year *'' The Register of the Victoria Cross'' (1981, 1988 and 1997) * *'' Ireland's VCs'' (Dept of Economic Development, 1995) *'' Monuments to Courage'' (David Harvey, 1999) *'' Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross'' (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)

External links

Captain J.B. Jackman
in ''The Art of War'' exhibition at the UK National Archives 1916 births 1941 deaths Royal Northumberland Fusiliers officers People educated at Stonyhurst College Irish World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross British Army personnel killed in World War II Irish officers in the British Army British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross People from County Dublin Military personnel from Dublin (city) {{UK-army-bio-stub