Calgary Second World War veteran dies at 105

Calgary Second World War veteran dies at 105

Henry (Hank) Jackson served as rear gunner with Royal Canadian Air Force

Calgary police officers, transit officers and members of the fire department lined Memorial Drive Wednesday to honour the life of Second World War veteran Henry (Hank) Jackson, who died last week at the age of 105.

Jackson served as a rear gunner with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

After the war, he joined the Calgary Police Service, where he spent time working with the motorcycle unit.

CPS says Jackson was the last remaining member of the service who also actively fought in the Second World War.

Jackson died on May 24. Friends and fellow residents of Colonel Belcher got the chance to pay their respects to Jackson, before his remains were transported by police escort along Memorial Drive to his final resting place.

Jackson took part in 31 combat missions from the United Kingdom as a tail gunner in 1943 and 1944.

It was one of the most dangerous positions in the war, said Karl Kjarsgaard, director of the Bomber Command Museum in Nanton, Alta., with a survival rate of about 25 per cent.

Three of those missions were to Berlin, which Kjarsgaard describes as akin to "three trips to Hades and back."

Following the war, Jackson, along with his six crewmates, received the honour of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

In 2016, Kjarsgaard helped Jackson track down his Flying Cross, along with several other misplaced war decorations. It was found in a relative's storage in Manitoba, who was unaware the medals were there.

"It was wonderful to see the expression on his face when he got them back," Kjarsgaard said.

Despite seeing the horrors of war, Kjarsgaard said Jackson maintained a positive outlook for the rest of his life.

"I'm going to miss him terribly," he said.

Devoted Flames fan and Tim Hortons lover

Const. Margaret Reinders, one of the funeral co-ordinators for CPS, first met Jackson in 2021, when she was working as a community resource officer.

The two struck up a friendship, and she began visiting him often.

She learned he was lonely, with his surviving family members living in Manitoba. Members of the Veterans Association started visiting Jackson weekly. It helped draw attention to the loneliness of other retired officers, Reinders said, and visits began for them as well.

Today, we honoured & celebrated the incredible Henry (Hank) Jackson, who turned 105 years young! 🎉

👮♂️ Hank’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, marked by his dedicated service as a police officer & his unwavering commitment to his community.

A remarkable piece… pic.twitter.com/d1CGd387N9

She said she will remember Jackson's deadpan wit and one-liners.

He always took his coffee the same way: one cream, one sugar from Tim Hortons. Recently, Reinders brought him an iced coffee to switch things up, but he quickly made it known he was unimpressed with the change.

"He looked at me and he was like, 'What the hell is this?'" she said with a laugh. "And then basically went back to his normal coffee, because don't mess with a coffee order that's been perfected over 85 years or so."

He was also a diehard Calgary Flames fan, never missing a game. His favourite player was Lanny McDonald, who Reinders said recorded a video message for him on his last birthday.

And his memory was strong. He could identify CPS officers he had worked with in the 1950s just by looking at a photo of them, Reinders said.

"It was unreal how sharp he was until the end," she said. "I was lucky that I got to know him."

Jennifer is a reporter with CBC Calgary. Previously, she worked for CTV News in Toronto. You can reach her at jennifer.keiller@cbc.ca