Connaught Rangers, 5th Battalion, Service no. 5145
Born: 8th February 1895. Died: 22nd June 1947
Story
Born in Allerton Bywater, Edgar was serving in Bulgaria when he was captured on the 7th December 1915, during the same battle in which Peter Hession was killed. As a Prisoner of War, Edgar wrote home to his sweetheart, Hilda Firth, in a letter reprinted below:
Edgar Jackson
5145 Connaught Ranger Depot
Prisoners of War
Tatar Pazardjik, Bulgaria
Dear Hilda
Just a line to let you know I am still in the best of health. Hoping you are keeping the same. Well it is very cold out here but we have some good thick clothing so we cannot grumble. Well I am very sorry I have not wrote to you before now and I hope you forgive me as all the paper you and Mother sent me I lost them on the battlefield, also your photo and Dad’s and Mary’s as well. Well I hope you had a good time at Xmas and also your 21st Birthday. I wish I had been there. We would have had a good time, but never mind. We will have a good time when it’s all over and I get safely back home. Well I am the only Allerton lad here but I have two good pals from Doncaster. Poor Peter Hession got killed by my side. Well I wrote home on Jan 1st but I have heard nothing from them yet. I received your cigs but no letter just before I got captured and I thank you very much for them. Just remember me to Mother and Dad and all at Kippax. So now I will close.
With love
P.S. write straight away back From Edgar
Edgar was repatriated and married Hilda in Kippax on 2nd August 1919. They had a son, Stanley in 1920. In 1939, Edgar and Hilda were living at 5 Hollis Row, Kippax. Edgar was a coal miner. Both Edgar and Hilda are buried in Kippax:
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