Father: Richard William Jackson [a retired builder], mother, Mary Elizabeth [Turbyfield] Ed. Cheltenham Central School m. 1930 Elsie May [Martin], 1 son prev. Transport Contractor (own business); RAFVR Sgt, 2 Jun to 10 Dec 1941 prev. exp. 17 hrs on DH Moth Address in 1942: 54 Eldon Rd, Cheltenham Postings: 4FPP, 3FPP "A keen pilot of average ability who completed by flying the Hurricane very well. "Inclined to be careless at times... a good navigator" In Jun 1944, he requested a transfer to 9FPP (Aston Down), to be near his wife, who had been suffering from poor health and was unable to get any domestic help, but this doesn't seem to have happened. Reprimanded in March 1945 for Loss of Ferry Pilot's Notes
Three accidents, two definitely not his fault: 2 Dec 1943, he was initially blamed for overshooting a landing in Defiant TT.1 AA493. However, it was subsequently discovered that the approach speed published in the ATA Pilot's Notes was incorrect if the turret had been removed, so he was exonerated, and the figure amended. - 7 Aug 1944, during a take-off from Crosby, the navigator's escape hatch of his Beaufort I JM546 detached and damaged a propeller d. 23 May 1945 in Tempest V NV666 which disappeared during a flight from Hawarden to Kirkbride. By the 3 Jun 1945 no further news had been received, so they presumed that he had crashed into the Solway Firth, or the Irish Sea.
On the 6 June, his wife Elsie wrote to the ATA: "Of course I have realized for some time that there was no hope of the safe return of my husband. Naturally it was a deadful shock to my son and me, and I have been quite ill over it...I must admit that I will find this rather difficult financially ... I have had many offers of loans from relatives, but daren't accept them until I know what position I shall be in with regard to re-payment" The ATA continued to pay Reginald's salary [£370 a year] until presumption of death was formally established, and eventually paid the £2,500 insurance to Elsie on the 21 Jan 1946. "my husband was very proud of being a member of ATA and loved his work"
Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
and on Cheltenham's War Memorial:
with thanks to Reg's grandson, David, who also tells me: " My grandmother did not talk about him much (it was old and tragic news to her), and neither did my father (I suspect that he did not know his father well as he was sent to boarding school when young and may not have seen a lot of him)... I found out quite by accident that he is commemorated in Cheltenham when visiting (I was born in England but have lived for most of my life in Canada). I did not know the memorial was there, walked past it quite by luck and was astounded to see his name as I had no idea it was there."
Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file): |
1939 [RAeC]
ATA
