Nov 11, 2008 - Stan Jackson

When I was a kid in the late 70s, we'd often go out to the veterans' hospital with the various school bands, choirs or such and perform for the folks there.  It was usually in the dead of winter, so it would be at least 20 below outside and everyone would be wrapped in umpteen sweaters and pairs of long underwear.  Inside the hospital, it always seemed to be about 90 degrees, so it was nothing uncommon to have 2-3 kids pass out from the heat, particularly when under the spotlights.  Still, they kept having us back, so they must have enjoyed us being there.

What struck me the most, any time I'd go, was the WWI vets.  When you're that young and the war is that remote, it's hard to really understand what you're seeing and what happened to put these people where they were.  I can still see them, though.  The war had been over for 60 years and so the youngest would have been pushing 80 at that time, but they were still a mass of bandages, masks, missing limbs, eyes.  To an eight-year-old, it was a pretty fightening thing.  I can imagine that a number of them had come home from the war and had been there ever since.  There were younger vets there, clearly from WWII.  It was usually far less apparent why they were there.  They never seemed to have the degree of physical trauma that the older vets did.  There are other kinds, though.

My great-granddad was killed at Passchendaele.  He was part of the 85th Nova Scotia Highlanders who fought at Vimy.  They, along with the rest of the Canadian troops, developed a reputation as outstanding fighters.  They were brought in to help secure Passchendaele, and that's precisely what they did, though the losses were staggering.  I believe four-fifths of their people were lost in that battle, either to death or injury.  They had to charge overland in the face of significant German machine gun fire, and many, probably most, of the dead were never recovered.  He was 45 years old, left a wife and five kids on the farm back home.

Another great-grandfather fought with an Alberta regiment and managed to come home.  He'd never speak about what he saw, and was not good with loud noises.

There is more attention being paid to WWI of late.  There is a new movie out about Passchendaele.  The associated book looks a little light to me.  Mainly pictures and not a ton of text.  There is, however, a great-looking book called "Shock Troops" that I will be picking up.  It talks about everything in much greater detail.

Stan Jackson is the lone WWI vet that I have in the collection.  He was briefly a member of the St. Pats, but got most of his playing time in Boston.  He was another Nova Scotia boy, from Parrsboro.  He joined the RAF.  I can only assume that he did so rather late, since the typical fighter pilot of the day tended to have a fairly short career.

Stan was able to come home and pick up his hockey career again, playing at various levels until the mid 1930s.

Thoughts to all of them today.

via img227.imageshack.us

1916-17      Amherst Academy      High-NS                                                       
1917-18     Toronto RFC     TNDHL                                            
1918-19                                                    
1919-20     Amherst Ramblers     NSSHL     2     1     0     1     5                        
1919-20     Halifax Imperoyals     HCHL                                            
1920-21     Amherst Ramblers     MIL     10     13     0     13     10         2     1     0     1     2
1921-22     Amherst Ramblers     MIL     8     9     0     9     10                        
1921-22     Toronto St. Pats     NHL     1     0     0     0     0                        
1921-22     Halifax Independents     Exhib.     1     0     0     0     0                        
1921-22     Stellerton Professionals     MIL                             6     4     0     4     2
1922-23     Amherst Ramblers     MIL     12     14     0     14     24                        
1923-24     Toronto St. Pats     NHL     22     1     1     2     6                        
1924-25     Toronto St. Pats     NHL     3     0     0     0     7                        
1924-25     Boston Bruins     NHL     24     5     2     7     30                        
1925-26     Boston Bruins     NHL     28     3     3     6     30                        
1926-27     New Haven Eagles     Can-Am     7     5     0     5     8                        
1926-27     Ottawa Senators     NHL     8     0     0     0     2                        
1926-27     London Panthers     Can-Pro     16     3     0     3     36         4     2     1     3     8
1927-28     London Panthers     Can-Pro     42     16     9     25     91                        
1928-29     London Panthers     Can-Pro     14     4     1     5     30                        
1928-29     Philadelphia Arrows     Can-Am     18     2     1     3     24                        
1929-30     Philadelphia Arrows     Can-Am     38     8     13     21     60         2     0     1     1     4
1930-31     Buffalo Bisons     IHL     41     6     1     7     32         6     1     0     1     6
1931-32     Buffalo Bisons     IHL     38     1     3     4     8                        
1932-33                                                    
1933-34     Charlottetown Abbies     MSHL                                            
St. Pats Totals     26     1    1    2    13                        
NHL Totals     86     9     6     15     75                        

- Signed as a free agent by Toronto, December 23, 1921.
- Signed as a free agent by Boston, December 17, 1924.
- Traded to Ottawa by Boston for cash, January 18, 1927.
- Traded to London (Can-Pro) by Ottawa for cash, February, 1927.
- Traded to Philadelphia (Can-Am) by London (Can-Pro) for Fred Lowrey, January 18, 1929.

the HHOF take on Stan:

A tall and lanky left-winger, Stan Jackson played briefly in the NHL for three different teams. Most of his big league work came with the Boston Bruins in 1924-25 and 1925-26.

Hailing from Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, Jackson was a fine hockey player and runner in his youth. He served in the RAF during World War I before embarking on his hockey career. The talented forward played in the Maritime Senior League with the Amherst Ramblers before he was signed as a free agent by the Toronto St. Pats in 1921. Following his one game audition in the NHL, Jackson suited up for the senior Halifax Independents and the Stellerton Millionaires then returned to Amherst. He then played 25 games over two seasons with the St. Pats before being traded to the Boston Bruins for right-winger Ernie Parkes.

Jackson saw regular duty with the Bruins for two years then was sold to the Ottawa Senators who were seeking some insurance at forward. He played his last eight NHL games with the Senators in 1926-27 before returning to the minors where he helped the London Panthers win the CanPro Championship.

Jackson played in the CanPro, CanAm and IAHL before taking a year off in 1932-33. In 1933-34 he returned for one last year in the MSHL as the coach of the Charlottetown Abegweits.