Contributed by Ron Inglis, October 2021:
Greengrocer Carlisle Jackson, whose parents lived at 59 Alice Street, Auburn, had been born in Auburn and had attended Auburn Public School. He must have lived at home and contributed to household income for on Jackson’s death, his father was granted a war pension.
Jackson signed the oath of allegiance at Casula on 23 November 1915. He declared his age as ’21 years’. He embarked on the Nestor on 9 April 1916 and crossed from England to France on 6 September 1916. Twelve days later, he was taken on strength of the 20th Battalion in Belgium. He had a couple of stays in hospital over the bitterly cold winter of 1916-1917, when there was little action along the front.
Along with fellow Auburn Memorial men Albert Page and Robert Lamb, Jackson was killed in the First Battle of Bullecourt, April 1917. None of the three were Gallipoli veterans and all had been at the Front for around seven months over the winter period. Jackson was buried in the Queat Road Cemetery near the village of Buissy in northern France.
In 1923, his father initially chose the words for his son’s grave: NO ONE CAN SAY HE WAS ONE WHO JIBBED WHILE OTHERS BORE THE BRUNT. The Imperial War Graves Commission questioned the meaning of the word ‘jibbed’. The father died in 1924 and the family chose instead: GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.
Auburn Memorial men 4455 Carlisle Jackson and 2276 Henry Jackson were not related.
Carlisle Jackson is honoured on the following memorials in Australia:
- Auburn War Memorial
- Municipality of Auburn 1914-1919 Honour Roll
- Auburn Public School First World War Honour Roll
- Auburn Boys Public School Great War Honour Roll
- Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial Canberra
His decorations:
- British War Medal
- 1914-20 Victory Medal
