Jack Gordon Jones was born circa 1921, the son of Thomas George & Elsie Jones (nee Plant) who married in St. Deniol’s Church, Hawarden on the 9th April 1917. Thomas George JONES, 21, Bachelor, Coal-Merchant, 88, Church Sreet, Connah’s Quay, George JONES, Coal-Merchant & Elsie PLANT, 20, Spinster, Jesmond, Chester Road, Queensferry, Thomas PLANT, Steel Smelter. After Banns. Witnesses:- Thomas PLANT & John Alfred JONES.
We see the family on the 1921 census, living at 25, Pen y Llan Street Connah’s Quay, Thomas George Jones was head of the household, and he was 25 years and 4 months old. He had been born in Connah’s Quay and was a “Pryler” at John Summers & Sons Ltd, Hawarden Bridge Steel Works and was “Out of Work.” His wife Elsie was now 25 years and 2 months old and had been born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, she was doing “Home Duties.” Their children were Thomas George Ronald Jones who was 3 years and 8 months old and had been born in Queensferry, Flintshire. Bessie Jones was 1 year 8 months old, and Jack Gordon Jones was 1 month old when the census was taken on the 19th June 1921. They had both been born in Connah’s Quay.
The family are seen on the 1939 Register, without Jack Gordon being named, although the redacted Record could be him, it will need to be investigated. They were complying with the 75- and 100-year laws.
The 1939 National Register is a source for the dates of birth and we find the family still living at 25, Pen Y Llan Street. Thomas G. Jones was born on the 23rd of February 1896 and was a Steelworks Labourer, Elsie Jones had been born on the 23rd of April 1896 and was doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties.” Thomas G. Jones had been born on the 12th of October 1917, and was a Professional Footballer he was single. Bessie Jones had been born on the 13th of October 1919 and was also doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties.” Bessie was also single, but she was to marry in St. Mark’s Church, Connah’s Quay, Francis J. Breen on the 5th of April 1944. She had as witnesses to the marriage her elder and younger brothers Thomas G. Jones and Ellis Jones, respectively. Ellis Jones’s date of birth was the 9th of July 1923 he was single and a Steelworks Labourer.
Jack Gordon enlisted or was conscriped at some time, but I have no indication when that was, and I have no information on his early life, so if any help on that would be appreciated.
According to the British armed forces and overseas deaths and burials Jack Gordon was born on the 11th May 1921.
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/topic/30222-hms-president-iii/
Thanks to Lt Cdr. Warlow ‘Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy’ – President III was an accounting base, initially in Bristol and then Windsor, it was the HQ for the personnel on Defensively Armed Merchant Ships, it does not mean he served there, but that his pay was worked out there .
Please also see:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_President_(shore_establishment)
I do not know when Jack Gordon either enlisted or was conscripted into the services, but he was in the Royal Navy when he died and on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission citation Jack Gordon is seen to be with H.M.S. President 111. He was posted to the Prins Harald.
PRINS HARALD
Type: Motor merchant
Tonnage 7,244 tons
Completed 1942 – William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland
Owner Nortraship
Date of attack 20 Nov 1942 Nationality: Norwegian
Fate Sunk by U-263 (Kurt Nölke)
Position 35° 55’N, 10° 14’W – Grid CG 8731
Complement ? men (3 dead and ? survivors).
Convoy KMS-3
Route Swansea (3 Nov) – North Africa
Cargo War material
History
Launched as British Empire Field on 23 Sep 1941 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), completed in January 1942 and assigned to Haldin & Philipps Ltd (Court Line), London. On 15 Oct 1942, she was taken over by the Norwegian government at Cardiff and renamed Prins Harald.
Notes on event
At 10.12 and 10.13 hours on 20 Nov 1942, U-263 fired torpedoes at convoy KMS-3 west of Gibraltar and observed hits after 13 seconds, 47 seconds, 1 minute 27 seconds and 1 minute 47 seconds. Nölke observed two ships sinking and one burning. In fact, the Prins Harald and Grangepark were sunk and one torpedo exploded in the net defences of the British steam merchant Ocean Pilgrim (7173 tons).
The Prins Harald (Master Westbye Foss-Sørensen) was hit by one torpedo that started a fire in a hold where some ammunition was stored. The crew launched the lifeboats and rowed away to a safe distance, while the motorboat remained near the ship to wait for the master and the first mate who attempted to extinguish the fire. After 30 minutes, the ship blew up and sank, spreading flames across the water. The two officers were killed and the men in the motorboat were blown into the sea by the pressure of the explosion. A British gunner was killed*, while all the others had varying degrees of injuries. Eight survivors rescued themselves on a raft and two clung to some debris until a lifeboat came to assist. All survivors were picked up by the rescue vessel of convoy and landed in Gibraltar after two days.
*This must have been Jack Gordon JONES – see below.
On the Naval Deaths his death comes under Category ” 2” which means – Missing – Death on War Service Presumed – see below the “Cause of Death (Column 9) – Key to Numerical Code.”
Jack Gordon Jones
RN (D/JX 313627). British
Died 20 Nov 1942
Roster information listed for Jack Gordon Jones
Ship Type Rank / role Attacked on Boat
Prins Harald Motor merchant Able Seaman (DEMS gunner) 20 Nov 1942 (+) U-263
Personal information – Son of Thomas George and Elsie Jones, of Connah’s Quay, Flintshire.
FATE OF U-263 – Type – VIIC
Commissioned 6 May 1942 Kptlt. Kurt Nölke
Commanders
6 May 1942 – Dec 1942 Oblt. Kurt Nölke
1943 – 20 Jan 1944 KrvKpt. Kurt Nölke
Career
2 patrols
6 May 1942 – 31 Oct 1942 8. Flottille (training)
1 Nov 1942 – 20 Jan 1944 1. Flottille (active service)
Successes 2 ships sunk, total tonnage 12,376 GRT
Fate – Sank on 20 January 1944 in the Bay of Biscay south-west of La Rochelle, France, in approx. position 45.40N, 03.00W, in an accident after a deep dive trial. 51 dead (all hands lost).
Please click on the link to read about Jack Gordon’s brother, Thomas G.R. JONES, a well-known local footballer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._G._Jones – see his entry on the 1939 National Register above.
Jack Gordon Jones was remembered by his family when they added his name to the list of names to be added to the WW2 War Memorial, he was well loved.
