Jackson, David Duty

The True Story of W/O Norman Cyril Jackson VC

Much has been written over the years about the events of the night of 26 to 27 April 1944, in which Flight Sergeant (later Warrant Officer) Norman Cyril Jackson was involved. However, these accounts are all inaccurate or do not tell the whole story. This book is the first publication of the most comprehensive and accurate account Norman gave to his son David. This book does not glorify war, but is about a sense of duty. The story is, of course, primarily about Norman Jackson, but it is also about the other young men he served with and their courage. Most of them were volunteers in the Royal Air Force: carpenters, engineers, teachers, plumbers, bank clerks, managers, ordinary people who answered the call to defend their country in its hour of greatest need. The fact that they put their lives on the line night after night as members of Bomber Command, knowing full well that their chances of survival were the lowest of any branch of the armed forces, underscores the extraordinary courage of these men. None of them, not even their comrades who paid the ultimate price, received official recognition for their service and sacrifice after the war. This book tells the story of Norman's early childhood until his retirement from the Royal Air Force in 1946. It describes all the missions he flew as a member of the 106th Squadron and reveals for the first time what really happened that night over Schweinfurt, which earned him the Victoria Cross.