Brigadier General Arnold Nugent Strode Strode-Jackson, (5 April 1891 – 13 November 1972) was a British athlete, British Army officer, and a barrister. He was the winner of the 1500 m at the 1912 Summer Olympics, in what was hailed at the time as "the greatest race ever run". He was a brigadier general and amongst the most highly decorated British general officers of the First World War.

Early life

He was born Arnold Nugent Strode Jackson at Addlestone, Surrey, changing his surname to Strode-Jackson on 31 March 1919 (as noted in The London Gazette of 1 April 1919).

He was educated at Malvern College, where he was head of his house and head of the athletics team, and there he acquired the nickname "Jackers". Jackson entered Brasenose College, Oxford in 1910, where he took a degree in law.

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Jackson rowed and played football and hockey for Brasenose College, being captain of the hockey team. Aged 21, Jackson was the youngest ever Olympic 1500 m gold medalist until Asbel Kiprop in 2008, aged 19.

Military career

At the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Jackson was commissioned in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and, in September 1914, was attached to the 13th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade as a Second lieutenant. In December 1914, he was promoted to temporary Lieutenant. He went over to France with the battalion and was promoted to Captain on 1 July 1916. He was made an acting Major by the time of his first Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 4 June 1917. On 30 August 1917 he was transferred as acting Lieutenant-Colonel to take command of 13th (Service) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps, whose CO had just been killed. He commanded the battalion during the latter stages of the Battle of Passchendaele and the German spring offensive and was made a full lieutenant colonel in May 1918. He was wounded in the right arm during the battalion's attack on Achiet-le-Grand and Bihucourt on 23 August and left the battalion. He was promoted to acting Brigadier-General in October 1918.

The war put an end to his sporting career, for he was wounded three times and left permanently lame.

Medals and honours

He was awarded his DSO and three Bars, with citations from The London Gazette, as follows:

  • DSO awarded 4 June 1917, general citation.
  • 1st Bar awarded on 18 July 1917, "for conspicuous gallantry during lengthy operations, when he assumed command of the battalion and, although wounded on two separate occasions, was able to carry out most valuable work. By his skill and courage he offered a splendid example to all ranks with him."
  • 2nd Bar awarded on 13 May 1918 "for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. His battalion was subjected to an intense bombardment throughout a whole day, which caused many casualties and cut off all communication by wire with the front-line companies. He handles the situation with such skill and initiative that when the enemy attacked towards evening the casualties caused by the bombardment had been evacuated and replaced by reinforcements and communication with the front line had been re-established. It was entirely due to his powers of command and the splendid spirit with which he inspired his men that the attack on the greater part of his front was repulsed, and that the enemy, though they penetrated into parts of the front line, were counter-attacked and held at bay until the arrival of reinforcements. By his skilful dispositions he materially assisted the counter-attack which finally drove the enemy back with heavy losses and completely re-established the position."
  • 3rd Bar awarded on 2 December 1918, "for conspicuous gallantry and brilliant leadership. During an attack by our troops Lt-Col Jackson advanced with the leading wave of his battalion, and was among the first to reach the railway embankment. The machine-gun fire against them was intense, but the gallant leading of this officer gave such impetus to the assault that the enemy¹s main line of resistance was broken. He was subsequently wounded during the work of consolidation."

Jackson was also Mentioned in Despatches six times during the war, all published in the Gazette: 15 June 1916, 23 July 1917, 21 December 1917, 24 May 1918, 28 December 1918 and 12 January 1920.

Later life

thumb|Arnold Jackson in May 1919

He was a member of the British delegation at the Paris Peace Conference, 1919 and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his work there.

He became a U.S. citizen in 1945.

References

  • Images of Arnold Jackson's 1947 & 1963 passports from passportland.com
  • 1912 1500m account