A contributor to is researching this man: " ... my grandfather was in the RASC during WW1. He joined the London Fire Brigade in 1920 and was the Chief Fire Officer for London during the Blitz. He resigned his post in Jan 1943 under slightly acrimonious circumstances and as far I was aware took an administrative position with the Home Office concerning fire prevention. However one of his medals is the France and Germany Star and 2 of the photos that have turned up show him with other officers in France 1944 in what looks like RAF uniforms. His son also Frank Whitford Jackson was killed aged 20 piloting a Wellington in 1943 but this is the only connection that I know he had with the RAF."
A respondent replied: "Things changed in the summer of 1941 when the British Ministry of Information reorganised and revitalised its American operations. This enabled it to oversee a little-known but remarkably successful propaganda campaign in the US, conceived and executed by an unlikely agency, the London Fire Brigade. On February 1st, 1941 Major F. W. Jackson DSO {our man}, Officer Commanding London Fire Services, wrote to the secretary of the War Artists Advisory Committee (WAAC), E.M. O’Rourke Dickey, to inform him that he had recently called for a list of artists serving in his force, which had revealed ‘a large amount of hidden talent of which we were not previously aware’. He stated that he had invited all artists in the service to submit works of art for an exhibition in his headquarters and wondered if the WAAC would assist in judging them. If the standard was sufficiently high then perhaps the works might be sent to the US. Instead of dismissing the idea as fanciful, Dickey arranged for the works to be seen by J. B. Manson, a former curator of the Tate Gallery, after getting agreement from the WAAC chairman, Kenneth Clark, that depending on the quality ‘it would be quite a good thing to send it to America’."
And this , with an introduction by Jackson is, we believe the result.
At WW2 Talk we also learnt: "During WW1 Major Jackson served with the Army Service Corps. ... He also played a cameo uncredited role as the Fire Chief in Humphrey Jennings docudrama Fires Were Started. 1943. ... - DSO (For distinguished service in the field Gazette 1 Jan 1918) - Mentioned in Despatches (x 3). - French's Despatch of 30 Nov 1915 - Haig's Despatches of 13 Nov 1916 and 7 Nov 1917."
Lots more information at . Born Kent. Died in Epsom. Buried in Highgate Cemetery at the London Fire Brigade memorial.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, adds that Frank Whitford Jackson was born on 23 June 1886 in Strood, Kent, the eldest of the three children of Arthur Jackson (1859-1935) and Celia Jackson née Mason (1862-1935). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1886 in the Strood Registration District. On 11 August 1886 he was baptised in the parish church at Kirk Ella in the East Riding of Yorkshire, where the baptismal register confirms his date of birth, that his family lived in Rochester and that his father was an engineer.
He was shown as aged 4 years in the census that was undertaken on 5 April 1891. He was living at 4 Park Crescent, Tynemouth, Northumberland, with his parents and his sister Celia Jackson (1888-1982), together with a female general domestic servant. His father was listed as the Surveyor to Mariner Department, Borough of Tynemouth.
He was described as aged 14 years in the census that was compiled on 31 March 1901. He was residing at Dene Park, Coleraine Road, Greenwich, London, with his parents and his two siblings: Celia Jackson and Walter Frederick Jackson (1893-1973), together with a female general domestic servant. His father's occupation was shown as "Civil Service. Assist to the Superintendent. Engineer & constructor of shipping. War Dept".
He was shown as aged 24 years and a clerk employed by the London County Council on the census return form completed by his father on 2 April 1911. He was living in an eight roomed property at 137 Shooters Hill Road, Blackheath, London, with his parents and a female general domestic servant. His father described himself as an Assistant Superintending Engineer and Constructor of Shipping. War Department - Royal Dockyard, Woolwich.
He attended Kings College, University of London and during World War One joined the Royal Army Service Corps, service number 6050, in October 1914 as a Second Lieutenant. He entered France on 7 October 1914. He rose to the rank of Major and having been Mentioned in Despatches on three occasions was awarded the Distinguished Service Order before he left the army in March 1919. He was also awarded the 1914 Star with the "5 Aug.-22 Nov.1914" clasp, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He married Elizabeth Lilian Cummins (1888-1931) in the 1st quarter of 1916 in St Ignatius Church, Stamford Hill, London. They had three children: Joan Mary Celia Jackson (1921-1978); Frank Whitford Jackson (1923-1943) and Peter Whitford Jackson (1929-1995).
The 11 December 1920 edition of the Hanwell Gazette and Brentford Observer newspaper reported that as a Senior Assistant in the London County Council's Senior Education Officer's Department he was recommended for the post of Assistant Divisional Officer on the staff of the London Fire Brigade, beating 50 other applicants.
Electoral registers in 1920 list him at 132 Burnt Ash Hill, Lewisham, London.
He was shown as aged 36 years, married and an Assistant District Officer employed by the London Fire Brigade at their headquarters in Southwark, London, on the census return form completed by his father on 19 June 1921. He was living in the eight roomed property at 1 St Andrew's Road, London, W14, with his parents and his two siblings; Celia Jackson who was shown as Celia Hammond, aged 33 years, 6 months, married and an art auctioneer's assistant employed by Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge, Bond Street, London and Walter Frederick Jackson, aged 26 years, 8 months, single and the Chief Mechanical Engineer at the London Fire Brigade's headquarters in Southwark. His father listed himself as a retired civil servant.
Electoral registers in 1923 and 1924 list him and his wife at the Fire Station, Euston Road, St Pancras, London.
When the England and Wales Register was compiled on 29 September 1939 he was listed as the Officer Commanding and was living at the London Fire Brigade's Headquarters, Albert Embankment, Lambeth, London.
He was made a Additional Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) on 14 February 1941. The citation reads:- "Major Frank Whitford Jackson, D.S.O., Deputy Chief Officer Commanding the London Fire Brigade. Since the outbreak of war the Command of the London Fire Brigade has rested with Major Jackson, and to him has been entrusted the responsibility of coping with the many and difficult situations created in the London area by the enemy's attacks. The London Fire Service has successfully dealt with outbreaks of fire on a scale and in such numbers as has never previously been experienced. Particularly noteworthy was the manner in which, in spite of severe handicaps, the public Fire Services operated on the occasion of the enemy's incendiary attacks on the City of London on the night of 29th December, 1940. It is to Major Jackson's able and inspiring leadership that the success of the London Fire Service is in large measure due. His leadership of the Service throughout has been distinguished. He has shown marked personal gallantry on a number of occasions, and in the fullest sense has shared the dangers of his officers and men".
Electoral registers from 1945 to 1951 list him at 708 Frobisher House, Dolphin Square, London, SW1.
His death was registered, aged 68 years, in the 2nd quarter of 1955 in the Surrey Mid Eastern Registration District. Probate records confirm that his address had been 11 Tudor Close, Hook, Surbiton, Surrey and that he died on 15 June 1955 at Dorking Hospital, 49 Dorking Road, Epsom, Surrey. His body was the last London fire-fighter to be interred at Fireman's Corner in Highgate Cemetery. Probate was granted on 20 August 1955 jointly to his two surviving children. His daughter was listed as a spinster and his son as a bacteriological chemist. His effects totalled £2,850-11s-1d.
He is shown as "MAJOR F.W. JACKSON C.B.E., D.S.O." on the London Fire Brigade memorial in Highgate Cemetery, Swain's Lane, London, N6.
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