Robert Jackson was killed during an O Group being held by Lt Col Ion Goff and which was the target of German artillery on the afternoon of 15 May 1944, as the 2nd Bn. London Irish Rifles prepared for the attack on the German Gustav Line defences at Sinagoga.
Robert Jackson was born in June 1922 and was the son of Samuel George and Agnes Jackson of Bally Duff, co. Antrim.
Robert’s name is included on the CWGC’s Roll of Honour here.
The tragic events were described later by 2 LIR’s Second-in-Command, Major John Horsfall, who would immediately take over command of the battalion:
“Ion Goff was down, mortally wounded, and a few minutes later the CO of the 16th/5th, Colonel John Loveday, followed him. By the time I reached the Tac HQ shortly afterwards, the battalion had already suffered heavy casualties in the fire storm, including Geoffrey Phillips, Ken Lovatt the signals officer and most of the signallers, who were with him.”
CQMS Edmund O’Sullivan further described the desperate scene:
“I went over and found the battalion’s commander, Colonel Goff, seriously wounded and in agony. I helped unload him. Goff had been on reconnaissance and a shell caught him and his O Group. Father Dan Kelleher called me over and asked if I would help him with some burials.”
