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Mr William Thomas Tom Jackson
A Funeral service was held at the Parish Church, Driffield on Thursday 12 January, which would have been his 90th birthday, for Mr Tom Jackson of Angus Drive,Driffield, who died on 2 January.
The service was conducted by the Rev Malcolm Exley, assisted by David Trow and Hilda Cowling, Readings were given by his daughter Mary, his granddaughter Zoe, and David Trow, and the organist was Mr Peter Maw.
Tom was born in York in 1922. Sadly his mother died when he was 12, leaving three other younger brothers. He had to leave school at the age of 14 and went to work at Rowntrees Chocolate Factory, doing some amazing jobs until he was old enough to join the RAF at 17, in early 1939 before the outbreak of war. The war started in September 1939 and he was posted to various stations in this country and trained as a wireless operator, working on Hurricanes involved in the ‘Battle of Britain’. In 1942 he was shipped to the Far East,at the time of the fall of Singapore and virtually became a POW. His ‘time’ - three and half years - was spent working in a dockyard in the holds of ships. Whilst imprisoned, he kept diaries every day, secreted away for fear of death for others as well as himself. He had processed these into book form for the family but the originals are in the Imperial War Museum in London.
After the war, he trained in forestry and woodland management under the guidance of Major Ackers at Huntley Manor in Gloucestershire who trained groups of ex-RAF men in memory of his only son, who was a pilot and lost at the beginning of the war. Tom then became his sawmill manager.
He met and married Cynthia in 1952 and they went on to have four children and lived in Gloucestershire. In 1968 they moved to Driffield where Tom became manager, for a short time, of Taylor Megginson Woodyard. He subsequently went into power line maintenance and shortly went into the same business in partnership with Cliff Jarvis of Kexby, Lincolnshire, clearing trees, timber etc, with major contracts from British Rail and the Electricity Generating Board, until recession hit
His final working years were spent as office manager at B W Agricultural Equipment at Cranswick. During all these years in Driffield, Tom worked unstintingly in various capacities in the Parish Church and St Mary’s Church as server, sidesman, warden, member of the PCC and finally verger until he was became ill. He also helped at the Dove House Hospital Charity Shop once or twice a week and helped the Driffield Town Theatre, front of house and behind the scenes.
He was an active member of the Far East Prisoners of War Association, and organised and attended many meetings and reunions. A tree will be gifted and planted in his memory at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on the FEPOW site. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
Chief mourners: Cynthia (wife), Jane (daughter), Adrian & Sue (son & daughter in law), Helen & Steve (daughter & partner), Mary & Nick (daughter & husband), Jessica, Diana, Jack, Zoe, Tom, Jeremy & Bethany (grandchildren), Michael & Audrey Jackson (brother & sister-in-law), Elizabeth Jackson (sister-in-law), Tony (brother-in-law), Michael & Mary (brother-in-law & wife), Graham Jackson (nephew) rep Andrew Jackson (nephew), Christine Jackson (niece), rep John & Paul Jackson (nephews), Alan Hope (nephew) rep the Hope family, Sandra & Paul (niece & husband), Sara (great niece).
Others present: Margaret & David Trow, Ron & Audrey Turner, Geoffrey Roughley rep Marcia Roughley, Eric & Audrey Riddle, Ramona Holt rep Joan Godwin, Nicky Goforth rep Bob, Felicity & Peter Walker, Janet & Tony Goforth, Elaine Robinson, Pam Hall rep Keith Hall, Meg Richardson, Mary Cowley rep Dove House, Mr P Bowman, Susan Malster, Megan Warnes, Dorothy Wagstaff rep Judy English, St Catherines Hospice & Dove House, John Taylor, Paul & Sandra Burns, Sarah Chew, Trevor & Elaine Pymm, Sheila Chambers, Brian & Jane Cox, Ben Jackson rep David Cox, Michael Wedgwood, Cynthia Dawson rep the family, Dorothy Featherston, Mrs M Limburn, Mrs P Beachell, Miss A Aconley, Mrs C Brett, Kathleen Allen rep Susan Porter, John Ellis, Marion & George Harris, Pam Dossor, Doug Longbottom, Alison Thomson, Peter Thomson, Pamela & Dennis Carter, Pauline Ward, Bryan Witty rep Karen, Mr & Mrs Tony Wilson,Ann Beal, Betty Bell, Basil Thompson rep Mavis Beachell, Ray Jones rep Driffield Musical Theatre, Mrs M Hawkins, Philip Hawkins, Mr & Mrs M Parker, Mr M Minns, Mr & Mrs M Holbrook, Mr T A Holbrook, Mr Les Merritt, Maureen & Dennis Bowtell, Chris & Mike Wynn,Annie Wheeldon rep Jane Daniels & Sue Bull, Frank & Florence Russell, Mrs E Robson rep Mr & Mrs S Robson, Mr P M Robson rep Mrs K E Robson & family, Barbara Hall, Shirley Franklyn rep Mr & Mrs Peter Brown (Norfolk), Georgina Dean, Ruth Pearson, Rachel Ullyott, Daphne Bradshaw, Roger & Elizabeth Gooch rep John, Brian & Chris Clarke, Kathleen Exley, Stuart Thomson rep RAFA, Charles & Angela Wiles, Cassie Bradley, Ernie Bradley, Peter Harrison, Felicity Zakhour, Gerald Gowlett, John Forester rep RAFA & the British Legion, Margaret Meacock, Sandra Shotton.
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Weather for Driffield
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 7 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: East
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