William Henry Jones was born on the 8th of July 1922, the son of William Robert & Frances Ann Jones, (nee Hewson), who had married in the Register Office, Chester on the 26th of September 1914.
William Henry’s father, William Robert Jones was age 22 and a Corporal in the 1st Cheshire Regiment, his address was Leasowe Castle*, Near Birkenhead, his father – Thomas Jones a Tailor’s Manager. Frances Ann Hewson was 21 years old, a spinster. Her address was 28, Tarvin Road, Chester and her father was Charles Price Hewson, a General Carter.
*Leasowe Castle was bought by the trustees of the railway Convalescence Homes in 1910 and except for a short time during the First World War, was commandeered early in the War for use by British troops, was then occupied by German prisoners of war. http://leasowecastle.com/about-us/
William Robert Jones is missing on the 1921 census, even though Frances Ann Jones, his wife, is shown as married and the children’s entries are showing that both parents are alive. I wonder if he was still with the Cheshire Regiment. However, we see the little family of Frances’s living as Boarders in the household of Mr. Samuel Over* at 6, Sandy Lane, Chester. He is aged 25 years and 3 months old, married, he is a Labourer for Williams & Williams, Chester but is ‘Out of Work.’ His wife is named as Mrs. Samuel Over, she is aged 23 years and 8 months old, their son Henry Cecil Over was 11 months old. Mrs Frances Jones is a Boarder and 25 years and 2 months old, she is a Charwoman for Mrs. Newey, 50, Bridge Street, Chester. Frances’s children are Frances Elenor Jones age 6 years and 4 months old; William Robert Jones was aged 3 years and 7 months old; Joseph Thomas Jones was 1 year and 10 months old. Everyone on the census were born in Chester, Cheshire, except William Robert Jones, who was born in Stockport, Chesire.
*Samuel Over and Beatrice M. Hewson were married in the December quarter of 1917 (Chester Vol. 8a Page 672). Beatrice was Frances Ann Jones (nee Hewson) sister.
I cannot find William Robert Jones on the 11921 censuses, so if anyone has any information, it would be gratefully received.
I have no information of William Henry’s early or teenage years, so any information on this would be gratefully received.
I do believe that William Robert Jones died in 1936 as I found a death in Chester City, age 58. (Cheshire West CHC/22/40), the Certificate would have to be purchased to confirm or deny. So young William Henry was to have suffered the loss of his father before he entered the war.
I also believe that Frances Ann Jones is seen on the 1939 National Register living at 21, Nelson Street, Shotton, a Widow, her birthdate is shown as20th of March 1894, her occupation, a Housekeeper for a John Davis, whose birth date is given as 20th of August 1890 and is a General Labourer doing Heavy Work. He is also single. Also in the house is a Joseph (Crossed out by the Enumerator, who added Samuel Henry) Jones, The d.o.b. on this was the 8th of July 1919, then changed by the Enumerator to the 20th of August 1919, so I believe that it is possible that William Henry was one of the redacted or closed records and the Enumerator made a mistake as he did with Samuel’s name and date of birth. If I am correct, then he wasn’t in the Navy on the 29th of September 1939 when the National Register was taken. William Henry would have been 17 years old then. He probably couldn’t join till 1940 when he would be 18 years old. I know this is supposition, but it is possible, please, if anyone can shed light om William Henry, please get in touch with the website.
This source also gives the date of a marriage of Florence Jones to a Davies , as her name is changed on the National Register (see Below) and the date is 13th September 1951, but I can find no trace of the marriage.
It seems that between 1939 and 1944 when the article in the paper was published, Frances Ann Jones married, possibly, John Davies, but I cannot find the marriage, as a few years later Frances Ann was to marry a Jack Lungley on the 8th November 1958 in the Register Office in Holywell. Many thanks to https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/47117582/person/6702947601/facts , the Ancestry entry from Michael Scott JONES gives a John DAVIES, born 1st January 1901. Was he born in Flintshire, therefore bringing Frances Ann to Deeside? See the Marriage certificate, kindly supplied by Michael Scott Jones, below which explains the change in names.
However, William Henry was to either enlist or was conscripted and he was to be an Able Seaman on the ship H.M.S. Tynedale and was among the lost when the ship was torpedoed by U-Boat – U-593.
The website – https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4630.html gives information about William Henry’s ship and what happened on the 12th of December 1943,
History
HMS Tynedale (Lt.Cdr. James John Simon Yorke, DSC, RN) was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean, off Bougie, in position 37º10’N, 06º05’E by the German submarine U-593.
Hit by U-boat
Sunk on 12 Dec 1943 by U-593 (Kelbling).
Notable events involving Tynedale include:
26 Feb 1943
HMS P 511 (Lt. C.R. Pelly, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Plymouth with HMS Tynedale (Lt. J.J.S. Yorke, DSC, RN), ORP Krakowiak (Lt.Cdr. W. Maracewicz) and later with HMS Cornelian (T/A/Lt.Cdr. S. Gorrell, RNR). (1)
28 Feb 1943
HMS P 511 (Lt. C.R. Pelly, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Plymouth with HMS Tynedale (Lt. J.J.S. Yorke, DSC, RN), HMS Melbreak (Lt. G.E.C.G. Baines, RN) and later with HMS St. Kilda (A/Skr.Lt. R.G. Utting, RNR), HMS Sheppey (T/A/Lt.Cdr. D. McNeil, RNVR), HMS Ensay (T/Lt. K.J. Reece, RNVR) and HMS La Nantaise (Skr. S.J. Cory, RNR). (1)
16 Mar 1943
HMS Tynedale (Lt. J.J.S. Yorke, DSC, RN) picks up 50 men from the British merchant Hadleigh that is torpedoed and damaged by German U-boat U-77 north-west of Oran in position 36°10’N, 00°30’W.
https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/3149.html
H.M.S. Tynedale
Fate Sunk by U-593 (Gerd Kelbling)
Position 37° 10’N, 6° 05’E – Grid CH 9615
Complement 155 officers and men (73 dead and 82 survivors).
Convoy KMS-34
Route Gibraltar – Port Said
Cargo
History Commissioned in November 1940
Notes on event
At 07.10 hours on 12 Dec 1943, U-593 fired a Gnat at HMS Tynedale (L 96) (LtCdr J.J.S. Yorke, DSC RN) which was escorting convoy KMS-34 and scored a hit after 14 seconds that sank the vessel northwest of Bougie, Algeria. Seven officers and 66 ratings were lost. The U-boat was then chased by several escort vessels, managed to sink HMS Holcombe (L 56) with another Gnat at 14.45 hours, but was finally sunk herself after a 32 hour chase.
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https://uboat.net/boats/u593.htm – Type VIIC
Commissioned 23 Oct 1941 Kptlt. Gerd Kelbling (Knights Cross)
Commanders
23 Oct 1941 – 13 Dec 1943 Kptlt. Gerd Kelbling (Knights Cross)
Career
16 patrols
23 Oct 1941 – 28 Feb 1942 8. Flottille (training)
1 Mar 1942 – 31 Oct 1942 7. Flottille (active service)
1 Nov 1942 – 13 Dec 1943 29. Flottille (active service)
Successes 9 ships sunk, total tonnage 38,290 GRT
4 warships sunk, total tonnage 2,954 tons
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 4,853 GRT
2 warships damaged, total tonnage 1,677 tons
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 8,426 GRT
1 warship a total loss, total tonnage 1,625 tons
Fate : – Sunk on 13 December 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea north-east of Bougie, in position 37.38N, 05.58E, by depth charges from the US destroyer USS Wainwright and the British escort destroyer HMS Calpe. 51 survivors (no casualties).
U-593 was hunted in a Swamp operation after sinking HMS Tynedale in the morning of 12 December 1943. It managed to sink HMS Holcombe, but the crew was eventually forced to surface and abandon their boat after a chase of 32 hours.
William Henry Jones in the UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 Cause of Death – 2 – Missing – Death on War Service presumed. Birth Date: Jul 1922, Birthplace: Chester, Cheshire, Death Date: 12 Dec 1943, Death Age: 21
William Henry was both loved and missed by his large family, and they made sure that he would be remembered by adding his name to the Hawarden WW2 War Memorial.
Chester Chronicle 29th January 1944 Able Seaman William Henry JONES (21) HMS TYNDALE Sunk – Page 7 Col. 6.
Reported Missing:- Mrs DAVIES of 21, Nelson Street, Shotton, has received news that her son, Able Seaman William Henry JONES, has been reported missing, believed killed, on December 12th when H.M.S. “TYNEDALE” was sunk by enemy action. He was 21 years of age and had been in the Navy three years. Before the war he was employed at Messrs. Summers. Mrs. DAVIES would be pleased to receive any information from his comrades. Mrs. DAVIES has two other sons serving in the Army & Navy.
William Henry was both loved and missed by his large family and they made sure that he would be remembered by adding his name to the Hawarden WW2 War Memorial.
Many thanks to Michael Scott Jones for all his help and documents from his family history.
