Norman Cyril Jackson

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Norman Cyril Jackson
8 April 1919 – 26 March 1994
Place of birth	Ealing, Middlesex, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1939 – ?
Rank	Warrant Officer
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Victoria Cross

Norman Cyril Jackson VC (8 April 1919 – 26 March 1994) was a sergeant in the Royal Air Force who won the Victoria Cross during a bombing raid on Schweinfurt in April 1944. Born in Ealing, Jackson joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 1939 and originally served as an engine fitter. He retrained as a flight engineer and on July 28, 1943 he joined No. 106 Squadron which operated Avro Lancaster bombers.

Jackson completed his tour of 30 missions on April 24, 1944 but, as he had flown one sortie with a different crew, he chose to fly once more so that his original aircrew finished their tour together. Jackson's 31st mission took place on the night of April 26-27, 1944, when his crew flew in a raid on the German ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt.

Having bombed the target, Jackson's Lancaster was attacked by a German night fighter and a fuel tank in the starboard wing caught fire. Jackson, already wounded from shell splinters, strapped on a parachute and equipped himself with a fire extinguisher before climbing out of the aircraft and onto the fuselage, whilst the aeroplane was flying at 200 mph, in order to put out the fire. His parachute partially opened causing him to slip out onto the wing. As he passed through the fire he sustained serious burns before falling 20,000 feet to the ground with a partially opened and burning parachute.

He suffered further injuries upon landing, but managed to crawl to a nearby German village where he was paraded through the street. He spent 10 months recovering in hospital before being transferred to the Stalag Kc prisoner of war camp. He made two escape attempts, the second of which was successful as he made contact with a unit of the US Third Army.

Jackson was promoted to Warrant Officer and his Victoria Cross award was gazetted on 26 October 1945. In April of 2004 Jackson's VC medal was sold at auction for £235,250 (GBP).