Thomas Jackson

Admiral SIR Thomas Jackson, K.B.E., C.B., M.V.O., Royal Navy, Retired (20 February, 1868 – 7 July, 1945) was an officer of the Royal Navy. He took four firsts in his Lieutenancy exams and qualified for gunnery duties. He was promoted to Captain at the relatively early age of 36 and was present in the Japanese fleet at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905 and was praised for his cool bearing by Admiral Togo.

Early Life & Career

Jackson was born at Stoke Damaral, Devonport on 20 February, 1868, the son of Captain Thomas Sturges Jackson, Royal Navy. He entered the Britannia on 15 July, 1881. He performed so well well in Britannia that he gained twelve months and was rated Midshipman immediately upon leaving the training ship on 15 July, 1883. He was sent to join the Achilles in the China Squadron, where he remained until appointed to the Bacchante in the East Indies Squadron on 14 April, 1885. On 20 November, 1887 Jackson returned to England as an acting Sub-Lieutenant to take his lieutenantcy exams at H.M.S. Excellent, the gunnery school at Portsmouth.

On 6 July Jackson was appointed Senior Naval Officer, Egypt and took up his duties on 20 July. He was superseded on 28 December, 1918.

On 26 March, 1920 Jackson was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral. In recognition of his services on 2 June, 1923 he was gazetted with the K.B.E. (Military division), and was knighted at Buckingham Palace on 16 June. On 7 October, 1923 he was placed on the retired list at his own request, and was subsequently promoted to Admiral on the Retired List.

Admiral Thomas Jackson died in a nursing home in London from carcinoma of the rectum on 7 July, 1945 at the age of seventy-seven.

Bibliography

• "Admiral Sir Thomas Jackson" (Obituaries). The Times. Tuesday, 10 July, 1945. Issue 50190, col F, pg. 6.
• Hines, Commander Jason, U.S.N. (October 2008). "Sins of Omission and Commission: A Reassessment of the Role of Intelligence in the Battle of Jutland". The Journal of Military History 72 (4): pp. 1117-1153.

Service Record

• The National Archives. ADM 196/42.