Year 7 were enthralled when Harvey W shared part of his family’s personal collection of Great War artefacts. After reading the recent school newsletter article about the Great War artefacts we loaned from the Imperial War Museum, Harvey kindly brought in his great, great uncle’s trunk which was shipped back from the trenches on the Somme. The College students who study this period were also able to delight at this marvellous collection.
Uncle Rudolph was born in Cheshire in 1876 and first entered service as an officer in the Boer War where he was awarded the Queen’s Medal. He re-enlisted at the outbreak of the Great War and soon found himself in the trenches of Flanders. His previous experience as a soldier must have been useful and he received the King’s Medal, two clasps and the Military Cross for his bravery. Early on the morning of 23rd March 1918 he left his trench on a reconnaissance mission when he was hit by a sniper. He was taken to a Casualty Clearing Station where he sadly died of this wound two days later.
The trunk was a treasure chest of items belonging to Harvey’s great, great uncle, Theophilus Rudolph Jackson who was a captain in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. It contained many papers, letters, medals, photographs, pamphlets, instruction manuals (such as on the operation of the Lee Enfield) and even his shaving set. Also contained were items belonging to his three sisters who had all served in the Medical Corps.
Many thanks to Harvey’s family for sharing this wonderful collection.
