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Biography from the Adopt a Digger Project (Cheryl and Betty)

Pte Dudley Jackson was born at Glebe, Sydney, in 1895 to Joseph Jackson and Annie Blanche Payne (Price). On 15 August 1915 at Warwick Farm, Dudley aged 19 years and 10 months, enlisted in the 5th Reinforcements, 20th Battalion, B Company. The 20th Australian Infantry Battalion was raised at Liverpool New South Wales in March 1915 as part of the 5th Brigade. Dudley was described as 5 feet 7 inches in height, 156 pounds weight with dark complexion, brown eyes, dark hair and of the Church of England faith. He named his father, Joseph Jackson of Neutral Bay, as next of kin and his occupation as Motor Driver.

On 30 September 1915, Dudley embarked on HMAT ‘Ballarat’ A 70 from Sydney for Egypt. At Abbassia, he contracted mumps and was admitted to 4 Auxiliary Hospital on 11 December until 4 January 1916. He was taken on strength at Tel El Kebir on 19 January. After further training in Egypt Dudley embarked with the unit an board HMT ‘Haverford’ from Alexandria for Marseilles on 18 March 1916.

The 20th Battalion entered the trenches on the Western Front for the first time in April 1916 and took part in its first major offensive near Pozieres in July and August. On 9 August Dudley Jackson was promoted to Temporary Lance Corporal but on 16 October, he reverted to the Ranks at his own request. The 20th Battalion provided reinforcements for an attack near Flers between 14 and 16 November 1916. It was also one of the four battalions to defeat a German force almost five times as strong at Lagnicourt In April 1917. During the remainder of 1917, three major battles were fought: second Bullecourt, 3-4 May; Menin Road, 20-22 September and Poelcapplle in Belgium, 9-10 October.

On 24 May 1917, Dudley presented to the 7th Australian Field Ambulance with defective vision to be admitted to the Corps Collecting Station. He re-joined the Battalion on 3 June and again required medical attention from 1-7 October. He was granted leave from 21 January until 8 February 1918. The 20th Battalion encountered very severe fighting during the German Spring Offensive in the attack of Hangard Wood on 7 April 1918. The Germans were being forced closer to defeat at Amiens on 8 August and Mont St Quentin on 31 August. Dudley Jackson was wounded in action at the battle of Mont St Quentin, sustaining a gun shot wound to the left leg and cheek on 31 August 1918.

From the 9th Australian Field Ambulance, then the Casualty Clearing Station, Dudley was admitted to 9 General Hospital, Rouen on 1 September. Four days later, he was invalided to England to be admitted to Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley on 5 September 1918. After three days, he transferred to the Convalescence Department at Furlo. Dudley was again hospitalised in Australian General Hospital, London with Influenza from 18 September to 29 October followed by convalescence at Harefield and then to No. 1 Convalescence Department at Sutton Veny on 23 November 1918. On 9 December 1918, he embarked from London on HS ‘’Argylshire’’ to disembark in Australia on 1 February 1919. He was discharged on 30 August 1919.

Dudley Jackson was awarded the Military for bravery in the field. The citation read: ''During operations near Mont St Quentin, North East of Peronne, on 31st August 1918, this man was conspicuous from the moment the attack commenced until the final objective was realised. His work with the Lewis gun was both effective and fast. He was the first machine gunner to reach the objective and on his own initiative mounted his gun on the left flank swinging it into action with telling effect and at the same time protecting the flank which at that time was very much opposed to the unit attacking on the left being held up.''

A notice in the London Gazette of 17 June read: ''AWARDED THE MILITARY MEDAL'' ''His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Military Medal for bravery in the field to No. 2493 Private D Jackson.''
The notice was also published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. 115 on 10 October 1919. Dudley Jackson was also awarded the 1914 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal.

It appeared that Dudley was at Tweed Heads in January 1920 when the Secretary of the local Repatriation Committee wrote to Base Records on his behalf to enquire when Dudley would be presented with his Military Medal. By 1925 he had settled at Mary River Road, Cooroy as a farmer. Dudley had taken up land at Bagtown, on Newspaper Hill Road, on which he planted bananas, as others had done. The Government had made small blocks of land available to settlers who erected dwellings from round bush timber with walls of hessian – hence the name Bagtown. Albert (Tab) Greber remembered that it covered a large area. As the crops developed, Dudley realized there was need for transport to get the fruit to the railway. He sold his lot and bought an old truck. He later bought a cream run from Mr Bell. Long term residents fondly remember ’Dud’ Jackson and his cream truck on which they had travelled to school and to other social events.

In 1939, Dudley Jackson married Essie Greber, the daughter of James Greber and Lily (Fritz). There was one son of the marriage. In the 1960s the couple retired to Nambour while Mr Evans took over the cream run. Dudley passed away in 1970 aged 74.

Battles Fought: Pozieres, Flers; Lagnicourt; Second Bullecourt; Menin Road; Poelcappelle; German Spring Offensive, Hangard Wood; Amiens; Mont St Quentin

Dudley Jackson, known as Dud, was born on 8th October 1895 at Glebe NSW, the 2nd eldest of 8 children born to his parents Joseph and Annie Jackson.  His older brother was Harry and his younger siblings were Daisy (died at 6months 1899), Leonard (Len), Digney, Mary, Arthur and Nellie.  Dudley was educated at Neutral Bay Superior Public School then went on to train in dairy science at Hawkesbury Agricultural College before moving to the north coast of NSW.  He worked as a motor driver. 

When WW1 broke out, 4 of the Jackson men enlisted.  Their stories are intertwined so this biography from here on is about all 4…a father and his 3 young sons who went to serve their King and country in war but not all would return home after the war. 

The eldest son, Harry, enlisted with the AIF in January 1915 aged 21.  He was assigned to the 13th Infantry Battalion and arrived at Gallipoli in May.  Leonard, known as Len, was 13 at the time and it would seem that he wanted to follow in his big brother’s footsteps but being under age didn’t deter him.  He enlisted at Victoria Barracks NSW on 6th August, 3 weeks before his 14th birthday but gave his age as 18 years 2 months.  He gave his occupation as a draper and gave his name as Richard Walter Mayhew to avoid detection.  He stated that his parents were deceased and that Annie B Jackson was his Aunt and was his next of kin when in fact Annie B Jackson was actually his mother.  Being under age he was supposed to have his parents consent but he didn’t tell them that he was enlisting.  Perhaps his height and appearance made his age believable.  His was assigned to the 17th Infantry Battalion 6th Reinforcements. 

Dudley, aged 19, enlisted on 15th August 1915, a week after his younger brother Len.  Dudley had previously tried and failed 4 times to enlist due to poor eyesight.  However, he heard he could bribe his way into the army at Warwick Farm Camp.  This was indeed true…after paying £1 to the Sergeant and £1 to the doctor, he was now in the army.  So he and Len took the oath of allegiance together at Warwick Farm on 20th August 1915.  Dudley is described as being 5ft 7ins tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair.  His service number was 2493, his rank Private and he was assigned to the 20th Infantry Battalion.  He embarked from Sydney on 30th September on HMAT Ballarat and disembarked in Egypt in October.  He was admitted to the 4th Australian Auxiliary Hospital (4AAH) at Abbassia with mumps on 11th November 1915.  

So now all 3 brothers were in different units and because Len used a false name on his enlistment he couldn’t be transferred to the same unit as Harry or Dudley. 

A week after Dudley and Len went into camp at Liverpool NSW, Joseph and Annie were notified that Harry had been wounded on 10th August at Gallipoli.  It wasn’t long before Joseph and Annie realised that Len had enlisted and so Joesph decided to go after him.  Joseph had served in the Boer War and was now 53 years old.  The legal limit for new recruits in 1915 was 45 so he was over age.  He enlisted on 13th September, 3 weeks after his 2 sons reported at Warwick Farm.  He gave his age as 44 years 11 months and he was assigned to the 19th Battalion.  He embarked from Sydney on 20th January 1916 on HMAT Runic and disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt, on 26th February then proceeded to Moascar Camp. 

Len embarked from Sydney on 2nd November on HMAT Euripides and upon arrival in Egypt in December 1915 was admitted to the 4AAH at Abbassia with mumps where he was reunited with Dudley who was still there recovering from his mumps.  They met up with Harry briefly in late December who had recovered from his wounds.  They didn’t know it at the time but this was to be the last time that all 3 brothers would spend time together.  Len was discharged from hospital on 29th December then in February 1916 transferred to the newly formed 55th Battalion, part of the 14th Brigade, 5th Division.  The battalion moved to Ferry Post Camp on 28th March where Joseph joined Len on 3rd April having transferred into the Battalion.  No doubt this was a moving time for both of them and a huge relief for Joseph to be with his young son.  They embarked from Alexandria on HMT Caledonia on 22nd June and disembarked at Marseilles a week later. 

Meanwhile…Harry and Dudley were already in Northern France. 

After being discharged from hospital Dudley proceeded to Tel-el-Kebir Camp and embarked with the 20th Battalion from Alexandria on HMT Haverford on 18th March 1916 and disembarked at Marseilles at week later.  He was appointed Temporary Corporal in early August 1916 and a month later the Battalion moved to Belgium where they went into the frontline trenches at Zillebeke on 6th September 1916.  Dudley reverted to Private in mid-October at his own request. 

Meanwhile…back home in Australia, Annie was informed by the Red Cross that Harry, a Sergeant, had been wounded at Mouquet Farm during the Battle of Pozieres.  He was taken prisoner and died on 15th August 1916 at a German dressing station at Ligny-Thilloy, 2km south of Bapaume.  He was buried at Ehrenfriedhof Cemetery just north of the village but was later reinterred at Valley Cemetery, Vis-En-Artois, France.  He was 23.  Poor Annie had the awful task of writing to Joesph, Len and Dudley to tell them of Harry’s death. 

Dudley with the 20th Battalion moved to Ribemont in France in late October 1916 then to Montauban in early November in reserve in Switch Trench near Flers.  They moved into the frontline trenches on 9th November in waist high mud. 

At the same time, 348kms north, Len was admitted to the 13th Casualty Clearing Station at Dernacourt with inflammation of connecting tissue of the left leg.  He was evacuated to England 5 days later and admitted to Norfolk War Hospital at Norwich.  Joseph was also admitted to the 13th Casualty Clearing Station with an undisclosed illness on the same day as Len.  He travelled by the same hospital train to the same hospital then by the same ship to be admitted to the same hospital in England.  When Joseph heard of Harry’s death he decided that in fairness to Annie, he and Len should return to Australia.  He told his authorities that he was over age and that Len was under age.  Consequently they were both sent to No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth in preparation for return to Australia and discharge.  They embarked together from Plymouth on 13th February 1917 on HMAT Ulysses and disembarked at Sydney NSW on 12th April.  Joseph was discharged on 14th May 1917 and Len followed a week later.  However, this didn’t deter Len at all.  He re-enlisted on 4th March 1918 at Victoria Barracks NSW under the same false name and this time he gave his age as 21years 3months.  He gave his occupation as a motor driver and stated that he’d previously served with the AIF and had been discharged medically unfit.  He gave his rank as Sergeant and was given the service number 86816.  He proceeded to Liverpool Camp and assigned to E Company Recruits Depot but was not required to serve overseas.  Joseph re-enlisted on the 28th May 1917 at the Addison Road Camp, Marrickville NSW.  He gave his age as 46 and his occupation as builder.  He was assigned to the newly formed No. 2 District Guard which only recruited returned soldiers from the Boer War and Gallipoli.  He remained with this until being discharged on 1st January 1919. 

Dudley’s Battalion rotated serving at the frontline in Switch, Needle and Carlton trenches in the Flers area till the end of December 1916.  They moved to Dernacourt in mid-January 1917 and then to Albert in late January.  In early February the Battalion moved to Shelter Wood Camp and then to Villa Camp in mid-February and went into the frontline trenches.  They moved to Scots Redoubt on the 19th February and captured Malt Trench 4 days later.  In early March the Battalion moved to the frontline trenches at Bazentin and took part in the Battle of Bapaume on the 17th March.  In late March they moved to Mametz Camp to rest before moving to the trenches at Vraulx Vraucourt in mid-April.  They rested at Favrieul Camp then moved to Norieul in early May then back to Vraulx Vraucourt.  They spent time at Biefvillers Camp then Pioneeer Camp before moving to Rubempre in mid-May. 

On 24th May 1917 Dudley was admitted to the 7th Field Ambulance (7FA) at Becordel with defective vision.  He re-joined the Battalion at Rubempre in early June then 10 days later the Battalion moved back to Biefvillers Camp.  They remained there till late July when they moved to Arques.  In mid-September the Battalion moved to Ypres where they took part in the Battle of Menin Road on 20th September at Westhoek Ridge.  They rested at Halifax, Dallington and Montreal Camps then on 1st October 1917 Dudley was admitted to the 7FA at Waratah Camp near Poperinge with a fever of unknown origin.  He re-joined the Battalion a week later east of Ypres and took part in the Battles of Polygon Wood (26th September-3rd October), Broodseinde (4th October), Poelcappelle (9th October) and Passchendaele (12th October).  After resting at billets at Le Temple the Battalion moved back into the frontline trenches in early November then moved to Waterlands Camp near Armentieres to rest.  Dudley took leave to the UK in mid-January 1918 and rejoined the Battalion at Bayenghem in early February. 

In late March the Battalion moved back to Belgium for a short time before moving to the frontline trenches in early April at Blangy Tronville, between Amiens and Villers Bretonneux.  During April and June they rotated serving at the frontline at Hangard Wood, Boves, Querrieu, Warloy, Frechencourt, Cardonette, Lahoussoye and Rivery.  The beginning of July 1917 saw the Battalion in reserve at Villers Switch Trench.  They took part in the Battle of Hamel on 4th July then moved into the frontline trenches at Vaire Wood.  They moved to Fouilloy and took part in the Battles of Amiens (8-11th August), Albert (21-23rd August) and Mont St Quentin (3st August-3rd September).  In the last mentioned battle the 20th Battalion moved up to make a bayonet charge and captured Gotlieb Trench.  As the Australians reached the summit at Mont St Quentin, large numbers of German soldiers were sent fleeing down the slopes.

It was on 31st August 1918, during the first day of the Battle of Mont St Quentin, that Dudley sustained gunshot wounds to his left chest and leg.  He was admitted to the 9th Field Ambulance (9FA) at Chipilly then transferred to the 37th Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont.  He was transferred then to the 9th General Hospital at Rouen before being evacuated to England on the hospital ship HMHS Grantully Castle.  He was admitted to Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley on 5th September and 2 days later he was recommended for the Military Medal for his actions with the Lewis Gun during that battle.  After being discharged from hospital in early October he took leave then 10 days later was admitted to 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital (1AAH) at Harefield with influenza.  He was discharged to No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny in early November then proceeded to No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth in preparation for return to Australia.  He embarked on HMAT Argyllshire on 9th December 1918 and disembarked in Melbourne on 1st February 1919.  He was discharged from the service on 30th August 1919.

On 17th June 1919 Dudley was awarded the Military Medal for the following: "During operations near Mont St Quentin, NE of Peronne on 31st August, 1918, this man was conspicuous from the moment the attack commenced until the final objective was reached. His work with the Lewis gun was both effective and fast. He was the first machine gunner to reach the objective, and on his own initiative, mounted the gun on the left flank, swinging it into action with telling effect and at the same time protecting the flank, which at that time was very much exposed owing to the unit attacking on the left being held up."

This was an outstanding achievement for someone who had been rejected 4 times for enlistment because of his poor eyesight and had to bribe his way into the army.  In his diary he wrote: “They said I would never be able to see a German.”  His determination to serve his King and Country, in spite of his disability, saved countless lives.  

After the war Dudley lived at Tweed Heads NSW then moved to Cooroy QLD where he worked as a farmer.  He bought land at nearby Bagtown and grew bananas and became the local carrier for the area transporting bananas and cream into Cooroy. 

On 12th October 1939 Dudley married Essie Greber and they had one son.  Dudley wrote extensively about his war experiences and his war diaries are now housed at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra ACT.  He retired to Nambour QLD in the 1960s and passed away there on 16th July 1970 aged 74. 

His father Joseph passed away on 27th July 1931 at Neutral Bay NSW aged 68.  His brother Leonard died on 25th February 1946 at Kogarah NSW aged 44.  Joseph and his eldest son Harry are commemorated on the St Peter’s Anglican Church WW1 Honour Board at Cremorne NSW. 

Dudley is commemorated on Board 3 of the Mosman “With The Colours” Honour Roll, alongside his father Joseph and brother Leonard.  This memorial is located at the Mosman Library, Mosman NSW. 

Dudley Jackson was awarded for service in WW1 the Military Medal, 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.   

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 20th February 2024.

Sources

The Lost Boys by Paul Byrnes (book)