David Jones VC (10 January 1892 – 7 October 1916) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and Commonwealth forces. A soldier with The

King's (Liverpool) Regiment The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British Army infantry regiments, which we ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he was awarded the VC for his actions in September 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. He was killed in action several days later.

Early life

David Jones was born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

on 10 January 1892 to David Jones, a trained ironworker but working as a porter at the time, and Jessie Jones . The youngest of six siblings, Jones went to Heyworth Street School in Everton. When he finished his schooling, he was apprenticed to Blake's Motor Company to train as a mechanic. In 1909, he volunteered for the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry ...

and served in the 9th King's (Liverpool) Regiment for four years.

First World War

On the outbreak of the First World War, Jones enlisted in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, and was posted to the 12th Battalion, The

. After a period of training, he, along with the battalion as part of the

20th (Light) Division The 20th (Light) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of Kitchener's Army, raised in the First World War. The division was formed in September 1914 as part of the K2 Army Group. The division landed in France July 1915 and ...

, was sent to the Western Front in France in June 1915. Prior to his departure, he married Elizabeth . The marital home was in Everton. Jones was involved in the

Battle of Loos The Battle of Loos took place from 1915 in France on the Western Front, during the First World War. It was the biggest British attack of 1915, the first time that the British used poison gas and the first mass engagement of New Army units. Th ...

in September–October 1915 and later served in the

Ypres Salient The Ypres Salient around Ypres in Belgium was the scene of several battles and an extremely important part of the Western front during the First World War. Ypres district Ypres lies at the junction of the Ypres–Comines Canal and the Ieperlee ...

in Belgium the following year. The 20th Division was among those tasked for the Battle of the Somme, and from 22 August 1916 it served in the Somme sector in France. On 3 September 1916, it was tasked with the capture of the village of Guillemont, which was strongly garrisoned by German forces. Jones was by now a sergeant. His platoon was part of a company ordered forward to strengthen the flank but it became cut off. Its commanding officer killed, for two days, under Jones's command, the trapped platoon resisted German attempts to capture their position. Even when relieved by units of the

16th (Irish) Division The 16th (Irish) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised for service during World War I. The division was a voluntary 'Service' formation of Lord Kitchener's New Armies, created in Ireland from the ' National Volunteers' ...

, he remained in the line for several hours before withdrawing. For his actions, he was awarded the VC. The VC, instituted in 1856, was the highest award for valour that could be bestowed on a soldier of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

. The citation for his VC read as follows: After some days' rest, the 20th Division was then involved in the next phase of fighting on the Somme, the

Battle of Le Transloy The Battle of Le Transloy was the last big attack by the Fourth Army of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in France, during the First World War. The battle was fought in conjunction with attacks by the Frenc ...

. On the opening day of the battle, 7 October 1916, Jones was killed in action. His battalion had just reached and entered some German trenches. He is buried in Bancourt British Cemetery.

Medals and legacy

King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

presented Jones's VC to his widow on 31 March 1917, in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. It was owned for several years by his former employer, Blake's Motor Company, which had been gifted it by Jones's widow. It was loaned to the King's Regimental Museum before it was donated in 2009 to the

Museum of Liverpool The Museum of Liverpool in Liverpool, England, tells the story of Liverpool and its people, and reflects the city's global significance. It opened 2011 as newest addition to the National Museums Liverpool group replacing the former Museum of ...

, where it is displayed at its premises in Pierhead, Liverpool. The year after his death, two separate plaques in his memory were constructed at his former school, Heyworth Street School. One was later moved to Everton Catholic Primary School while the other is in storage. Other memorials exist at St Nathaniel's in Liverpool and Guillemont Church. The latter also commemorates John Holland and

Thomas Hughes Thomas Hughes (20 October 182222 March 1896) was an English lawyer, judge, politician and author. He is most famous for his novel ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (1857), a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. ...

, two other VC recipients from the Battle of Guillemont.

Notes

References

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External links

The King's Regiment
''(regiment history)'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, David 1892 births 1916 deaths British Battle of the Somme recipients of the Victoria Cross King's Regiment (Liverpool) soldiers British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel killed in the Battle of the Somme Victoria Cross awardees from Liverpool British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Burials at Bancourt British Cemetery Territorial Force soldiers