Thomas Pierce Jones was born in Saint Asaph in 1896.
1901 Census on Ancestry.co.uk.
In 1901 the Jones family were living at Chapel House, Mill Street, Saint Asaph, Flintshire. Head of the family was Thomas Jones age 41, born in Waen, St. Asaph he was a Grocer’s Carter by trade.
His wife was called Ellen, she was 41 years of age and born in Bala, Merionethshire. Their children were Frederick, age 21 also a Grocer’s Carter by trade, Hugh age 17 a Farmer’s Carter and Thomas Pierce age 5, all the children were born in Saint Asaph.
1911 Census on Ancestry.co.uk
Ten years later we find that the Jones Family are still at Chapel House. Head Thomas Jones had changed his trade description to Labourer and had an Infirmity of “Bad Legs” shown on the census form. His sons Frederick age 31 and Hugh age 29 also had Labourer as their job descriptions.
Thomas Pierce Jones was 14 years of age and a Grocer’s Assistant by trade.
Record of Service Card at the Flintshire Archives, Hawarden.
From this card we learn that Thomas enlisted on 4th December 1916 into the 3rd Battalion of the Welsh Regiment. His addresss was given as Chapel House, Saint Asaph and the card was dated 19th September 1919 but not signed. Their were also details of his death at the bottom of the card, “Died in hospital in Bradford, 14/4/19.”
The 3rd Battalion of the Welsh Regiment was a Depot Battalion. The following information is from Forces War Records website.
3rd (Reserve) Battalion
04.08.1914 Stationed at Cardiff.
June 1916 Moved to Barry and then Kinmel.
May 1917 Moved to Redcar where it remained.
Thomas Pierce Jones’ Medal Card on Ancestry.co.uk shows that he initially enlisted into the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, regimental number 31164 and was transferred to the Welsh Regiment. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to locate a Service Record for Thomas so cannot advise when the transfer occurred or why.
The Register of Medals on Ancestry.co.uk shows that Thomas transferred from 2nd Battalion Welsh Regiment to 18th Battalion.
We have conflicting information from the Service card at Hawarden Archives that states that Thomas was in 3rd Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, yet the Medal Register clearly shows that he was in the 2nd Battalion.
The following information is from thewebsite of Forces War Records.
2nd Battalion The Welsh Regiment.
04.08.1914 Stationed at Bordon as part of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division.
13.08.1914 Mobilised for war and landed at Havre and engaged in various actions on the Western Front including;
1914
The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, First Battle of Ypres.
1915
Winter Operations 1914-15, The Battle of Aubers, The Battle of Loos.
1916
The Battle of Albert, The Battle of Bazentin, The Battle of Pozieres, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, The Battle of Morval.
1917
The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, The Second Battle of Passchendaele.
1918
The Battle of Estaires, The Battle of Hazebrouck, The Battle of Bethune, The Battle of Drocourt-Queant, The Battle of Epehy, The Battle of the St Quentin Canal, The Battle of Beaurevoir, The Battle of the Selle, The Battle of the Sambre.
11.11.1918 Ended the war at Fresnoy le Grand S.W. of Bohain, France.
18th (Service) Battalion (2nd Glamorgan) of The Welsh Regiment.
Jan 1915 Formed as a bantam battalion and then moved to Porthcawl attached to the 43rd Division.
July 1915 Moved to Prees Heath to join the 119th Brigade of the 40th Division.
Sept 1915 Moved to Aldershot.
June 1916 Mobilised for war and landed in France and engaged in various actions on the Western Front including;
1916
The Battle of the Ancre.
1917
The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line (March), The capture of Fifteen Ravine, Villers Plouich, Beaucamp and La Vacquerie, The Cambrai Operations.
1918
The Battle of St Quentin, The Battle of Bapaume, The Battle of Estaires, The Battle of Hazebrouck.
05.05.1918 Reduced to training cadre
18.06.1918 Returned to England as part of the 47th Brigade of the 16th Division and moved to North Walsham.
20.06.1918 Absorbed the 25th Battalion.
07.07.1918 Moved to Aldershot and joined the 47th Brigade of the 16th Division.
29.07.1918 Returned to France;
The Final Advance in Artois.
11.11.1918 Ended the war south of Tournai, Belgium.
I cannot explain why Thomas died in Bradford War Hospital, but he was still in the Welsh Regiment as there is a Register on Ancestry.co.uk listing his final effects.
Thomas Pierce Jones died in Bradford War Hospital on 14th April 1919, he is buried in Mount Road Cemetery, Saint Asaph.
