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Jones, Edward Thomas

 

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Edward Thomas Jones. (Tommy)

Edward Thomas Jones was born in 1895 in Pantymwyn near Mold.  According to The Commonwealth War Grave Commission, his parents were Anne and John Jones. (See link on this page).  It seems  however that John Jones died on 31st December 1885 (This is stated on an Army Relatives Form completed by Ann in January 1920. Either she made a mistake with the date or John was not Edward Thomas’s father)

By the time Edward Thomas was 4, his mother had married one Daniel Roberts.

Edward Thomas was recorded in the census of 1911, living with his family at 67 Tai Maes, Maes y Dre, Mold, Flintshire. Head of the household was Daniel Roberts who was 39. He was a Brewery Carter. His wife of 12 years, Ann Roberts, was 42. The census form tells us that within that marriage, she had given birth to 6 children, five of whom were still alive. The children listed in the household were Catherine 11, Mary 8, Louisa 6, Harriet Elizabeth 5 and Margaret 2. (Edward Thomas Jones was 16 and was recorded as Daniel’s stepson. He worked in the Tin plate works).

Edward Thomas Jones’s Army Service Records have survived and are accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk  They tell us some of his story. He enlisted and signed his Attestation Papers on the 19th February 1916 in Mold. He was 20 years and 8 months old and his address was 67, Maes y Dre Mold.  His occupation was ‘Munitions Worker’. He underwent a medical examination on the 12th April 1916 . He was 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 104 lbs. His chest measured 33 inches with a 2 inch expansion range. His physical development was fair and his vision good. The medical officer noted that he had bad teeth.  He was approved for General Service and was first given the regimental number 3890 in the 5th Battalion of The Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He was then transferred to the 25th Battalion with a new number 356028. He nominated his mother Anne Roberts as his next of kin.

Edward Thomas spent most of the next year at Park Hall Camp in Shropshire where he did his training. He must have been quite a character as there is a Conduct Sheet on which the breech of a number of Army rules were listed.  ‘Not complying with an order’,  ‘Absent from Orderly Room’, ‘Absent off Pass’, ‘Refusing to obey an order’, ‘Absenting himself from tattoo’, ‘Having an untidy berth’  – all of these were listed with their accompanying punishments which included being confined to barracks or forfeiting pay.

On  the 25th February 1917  he embarked from Southampton as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. He disembarked in Alexandria, Egypt on the 16th March 1917. He joined his unit on the 24th of March.

There was obviously some confusion about what happened to him in October. It was first reported that he had been wounded in action on the 31st October 1917.  This was then changed to ‘Killed in action’ on that day. The records say that he was buried the next day on the 1st November 1917 and that Chaplain C Jenkins had officiated. There is a reference given for his grave. It says,

“Site of grave Map Ref Yahia 1/20000 H 29.D1. 9  Peg no 2619”

A member of the family has told us that the story within the family was that he had been shot by a sniper.

The records contain correspondence  between the army and his mother Anne Roberts concerning the receipt of his personal possessions. His ID Disc was returned to her in May 1918 and in June she received 2 pipes, 1 pair of scissors, 1 knife and 1 tin box.

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This was attached to his returned possessions. We’ve never seen one before.

There is also correspondence about the receipt of his two medals and the bronze plaque and scroll.

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Edward Thomas’s memorial plaque. His ‘Death Penny’

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The British War Medal and The Victory Medal

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The register of Soldiers’ Effects in which the army calculated what monies were owed to deceased soldiers includes an entry for Edward Thomas Jones. It says he was killed in action in Palestine  and that a total of £7 .. 14sh .. 9d was paid in two payments to Anne Roberts.

The Army required Anne Roberts to complete a Living Relatives Form in January 1920. It is on this form that she stated that Edward Thomas’s father John had died on 31st December 85. She was also required to list any full blood siblings. Interestingly, she stated that he had a full blood sister Annie Jane Jones who was 26 and living in Bidston, Cheshire.  She also listed the five half blood sisters who were all still living in Maes y Dre Mold. Catherine was 19, Mary Edith 16, Louisa 15, Harriet 14 and Maggie  11 (Very difficult to read).

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His Scroll

Many Thanks to David Hughes who has supplied the images above and who finally solved for us the mystery of Edward Thomas Jones. We’d been stuck for years, unable to find anything at all about him. Hope you are happy with Uncle Tommy’s page David!


Learn more about the other soldiers on the Mold Urban Memorial

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