Emyr was born in Llanasa, Flintshire, in 1897 but by 1911 he lived with his father Thomas Griffith Jones and his step mother Elizabeth Ellen Jones in the Post Office Shop in Cilcain – the house now called Dolwar. His father was a grocer and Elizabeth Ellen was the post mistress. He would have attended the village school and given the importance of the post office and shop in the life of the community he, and his family, would have been well known and respected in the village.
Emyr commenced his service with the South Wales Borderers as an infantry soldier at the age of 18. He joined the 3rd Battalion but was attached to the 7th (Service Battalion). Emyr had three years’ service and was awarded the Military Medal for bravery at some point earlier in his career when he was still a non-commissioned officer (a soldier of commissioned officer rank would have received the Military ‘Cross’ as distinct from the Military ‘Medal’). Later in his career Emyr received his commission and was promoted to the junior officer rank of 2nd Lieutenant.
Emyr would have been an officer at the time of the third Battle of Doiran which was fought on 18th and 19th September 1918, with the Greek and the British armies assaulting the fortified positions of the Bulgarian Army in the hills above Doiran Lake. On 18th September the 7th SWB were part of a larger British force that attacked the difficult Pip Ridge but the 7th SWB suffered heavy casualties and failed in its attacks. It is likely that Emyr was part of this force when he lost his life. The overall attack failed with some 7,000 British and Greek casualties and Emyr was reported missing. His body was never found but his name is listed on the Doiran memorial in Greece.
Ganwyd Emyr yn Llanasa, Sir y Fflint, yn 1897, ond erbyn 1911 roedd yn byw efo ei dad Thomas Griffith Jones a’i fam cam Elizabeth Ellen Jones yn y Siop a Swyddfa’r Post yng Nghilcain – y tŷ a elwir y dyddia hyn Dolwar. Roedd ei dad yn groser ac roedd Elizabeth Ellen y swydd feistres. Byddai wedi mynychu ysgol y pentref ac o ystyried pwysigrwydd y swyddfa bost a’r siop ym mywyd y cymdeithas byddai ef a’i deulu wedi bod yn adnabyddus ac yn uchel oedd eu parch yn y pentref.
Dechreuodd Emyr ei wasanaeth efo’r Cyffinwyr De Cymru fel milwr troed yn 18 oed. Ymunodd y 3ydd Bataliwn ond cafodd ei ynghlwm wrth y 7fed (Bataliwn Gwasanaeth). Roedd Emyr yn filwr am ddair blynedd a fe’i dyfarnwyd y Fedal Filwrol am ddewrder ar ryw bwynt yn gynharach yn ei yrfa pan oedd yn swyddog heb gomisiwn (byddai swyddog a gomisiynwyd wedi derbyn y ‘Groes’ Filwrol yn wahanol i’r ‘Fedal’ Filwrol). Roedd yn nes ymlaen yn ei yrfa a dderbyniwyd Emyr ei gomisiwn ac fe’i dyrchafwyd i reng swyddog 2il Is-gapten.
Byddai Emyr wedi bod yn swyddog ar adeg y trydydd Brwydr Doiran a ymladdwyd ar 18eg a 19eg Medi, 1918, efo byddinoedd Prydeinig a Groeg a ymosod ar y safleoedd caerog y Fyddin Bwlgareg yn y bryniau uwchben Llyn Doiran.
Ar 18eg Medi oedd y 7fed CDC yn rhan y fyddin Brydeinig mwy sy’n ymosod ar y Pip Ridge heriol ond dioddefodd y 7fed CDC colledigion trwm ac wedi methu yn ei ymosodiadau. Mae’n debyg bod Emyr yn rhan yr ymosodiad hwn pan gollodd ei fywyd. Methodd yr ymosodiad cyffredinol gyda rhai 7,000 o anafusion Prydeinig a Groeg. Roedd Emyr ar goll ac ni chafwyd hyd i’w gorff. Mae ei enw yn cael ei rhestru ar y gofeb Doiran yng Ngwlad Groeg.
