Stanley Jackson was born in Holbeach, Lincolnshire on 11 December 1886, the son of Dr. Thomas Jackson (a general practitioner) and his wife Lucy Ellen Jackson. In 1901 he was living with his parents at Greystoke, Penrith, Cumberland.

He joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet in 1899. He was promoted to Engineer Lieutenant on 15 November 1909 and in 1911 he was serving as an Engineer Lieutenant on board the battleship HMS EXMOUTH at Malta. He was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MAIDSTONE at Portsmouth ‘and for duty with Submarines’ on 24 June 1913.

On 1 July 1916 he was appointed to the Russian Submarine Depot Ship DVINA at Reval ‘as Engineering Officer for the Baltic Submarine Flotilla’. He was promoted to Engineer Lieutenant Commander on 15 November 1917. On his return home from the Baltic Stanley Jackson was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS TITANIA at Blyth ‘and for duty with Submarines’ on 19 February 1918.

Stanley Jackson was awarded the OBE (London Gazette dated 11 June 1919) ‘for valuable services as Engineer Officer of Submarines. He was in charge of the engines of the Baltic Submarine Flotilla until the Submarines were destroyed’. He was still serving in HMS TITANIA in December 1919.

He was promoted to Engineer Commander on 30 June 1924 and, on 8 September 1924 he was appointed to Portsmouth Dockyard ‘for duty in connection with the design of Torpedo Tubes and Torpedo Equipment’. On 17 November 1926 he was appointed to the cruiser HMS CAIRO on the North America and West Indies Station ‘as the Engineer’.

On 1 February 1931 he was awarded his Private Pilot’s Licence by the Airwork School of Flying qualifying in an AVRO Avian 110 h.p. Hermes Aircraft. His next appointment is not yet established but an appointment to the Repair Ship HMS RESOURCE in the Mediterranean Fleet ‘as the Engineer’ followed on 14 March 1931. This was followed by an appointment to HMS PRESIDENT ‘for the Department of the Engineer in Chief as the Engineering Overseer at Messrs. Vickers Armstrong, Ltd at Barrow in Furness’ to date 29 August 1932.

Stanley Jackson was promoted to Engineer Captain on 31 December 1934 and, on 25 January 1936, he was appointed to the cruiser HMS GALATEA, the Flag Ship of Rear Admiral (D), Mediterranean Fleet ‘as Squadron Engineer Officer’ – he was accommodated in the Destroyer Depot Ship HMS WOOLWICH.  On 5 February 1938 he was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN ‘as the Engineer on the Staff of Rear Admiral (S)’.

On 3 June 1939 he was onboard the new ‘T’ Class Submarine HMS THETIS for the Acceptance Trials. THETIS was built at Cammell Laird’s yard at Birkenhead and was laid down on 21 December 1936. During the Acceptance Sea Trial there was a problem with the trim and during the investigations a torpedo tube rear door was opened whilst the bow cap was open. This resulted in the forward compartments being flooded and the submarine sinking. During the efforts to rescue the crew and passengers a total of only four escaped before the submarine final sank with the loss of ninety-nine Officers, Ratings and Civilian personnel. Stanley Jackson died in the accident.

After the submarine was recovered his body was claimed by his family and he was buried privately in St. John’s Churchyard, Keswick, on Saturday, 30 September 1938.