Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

One of WILMINGTONs fallen sons from WW1.

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Private James Albert Oliver Frederick JONES
12 - 2 - 1892 – 3 - 5 - 1917

James Albert Oliver Frederick JONES was born 12th February 1892 in BROKEN HILL, the son of Albert and Mary JONES. He was the oldest son in the family who had moved to WILMINGTON. After completing his schooling at the Wilmington School, James (who was known as "Jim") worked as a Labourer before enlisting.

He attested (formally enlisting in the AIF) on 26th September 1916 at ADELAIDE after enlisting at PORT AUGUSTA. James had tried to enlist locally previously and was turned down due to poor vision in his left eye.

He entered the MITCHAM training camp almost immediately. He was described as a single man, 5’4 “tall, weighed 122 pounds and had a 34” chest. He had brown hair, a “medium” complexion and blue eyes. James completed training and embarked from ADELAIDE, on board HMAT A19 Afric on 17th November 1916.

James joined his battalion, the 27th, in England on 9th January 1917. On 17th January, 1917, James joined the 27th Battalion on the Western Front in FRANCE. The 27th had arrived after evacuating from GALLIPOLI and the first major battle on the Western Front was at POZIERES, a devastating battle over days in which the Australians suffered a massive amount of casualties.

The 27th were, with other battalions, brought to the front near BULLECOURT. They attacked the famed HINDENBURG LINE and during the first battle, on 11 April 1917, the diggers were driven from positions they’d gained near OG1 and OG2 trenches at a cost of 3000 casualties. James survived uninjured through this ordeal.

The second battle, fought for these same trenches between 3rd and 16th May, resulted in 7,000 Australian casualties. On the night of 3–4 May, the Australians took over OG2 where it crossed a roadway. For nearly three days, they defended and extended it as they endured machine-gun fire, artillery bombardment, vigorous and extensive grenade fights, and the flames of a German flamethrower.

Finally, this time the Germans gave up the area and village. They fell back to a new front line after horrific and at times barbaric fighting. The defence of OG2 cost the Battalion dearly. When relieved their ranks were ‘sadly thinned’, having suffered 309 casualties – 56 dead, 8 missing and 245 wounded.

Private John Ware fought unwounded through those desperate days & nights, wrote to his mother, of the dead & wounded of BULLECOURT
‘Sometimes they are blown to pieces, others not so bad, limbs off, skulls knocked in ... the only burial they get at the time is a coat over their face.’

Private James JONES was one of the casualties killed in the charge and initial taking of OG1/2 on the 3rd May, 1917. The Australian Memorial Park now looks over the fields of BULLECOURT in FRANCE; the BULLECOURT DIGGER statue there recalls the thousands of Australians who fought here in April and May 1917 in the first and second battles of BULLECOURT. They captured a couple of square kilometres of trenches from the Germans, trenches which formed a small section of the formidable ‘Hindenburg Line’.

A couple of hundred metres from the Memorial is a cross dedicated to Australians ‘missing in action’ in both battles. This is very near where trench OG2 crossed the road.

On 5th June, 1917, the JONES family were at home in WILMINGTON when they were notified that James had been killed. They were later advised James was one of those never found.

His name is recorded on the VILLIERS BRETTONEAUX Memorial with very close to 11,000 other Australians Missing in Action in this area of the Western Front.

Albert later received James’ British War Medal, Victory Medal, Memorial Scroll and Plaque along with a copy of the ‘Kings Message’.

Albert and Mary JONES are buried together in their home town cemetery in WILMINGTON. On the headstone they gave their oldest son, recognition, "Jim" killed in France. In doing so they've done something no one else could do for this man, they gave him a headstone.

James is also commemorated on the Australian War Memorial on the Roll of Honour and on the WILMINGTON and HAMMOND Honour Rolls at The WILMINGTON Soldiers Memorial Hall.

LEST WE FORGET.

One of WILMINGTONs fallen sons from WW1.

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Private James Albert Oliver Frederick JONES
12 - 2 - 1892 – 3 - 5 - 1917

James Albert Oliver Frederick JONES was born 12th February 1892 in BROKEN HILL, the son of Albert and Mary JONES. He was the oldest son in the family who had moved to WILMINGTON. After completing his schooling at the Wilmington School, James (who was known as "Jim") worked as a Labourer before enlisting.

He attested (formally enlisting in the AIF) on 26th September 1916 at ADELAIDE after enlisting at PORT AUGUSTA. James had tried to enlist locally previously and was turned down due to poor vision in his left eye.

He entered the MITCHAM training camp almost immediately. He was described as a single man, 5’4 “tall, weighed 122 pounds and had a 34” chest. He had brown hair, a “medium” complexion and blue eyes. James completed training and embarked from ADELAIDE, on board HMAT A19 Afric on 17th November 1916.

James joined his battalion, the 27th, in England on 9th January 1917. On 17th January, 1917, James joined the 27th Battalion on the Western Front in FRANCE. The 27th had arrived after evacuating from GALLIPOLI and the first major battle on the Western Front was at POZIERES, a devastating battle over days in which the Australians suffered a massive amount of casualties.

The 27th were, with other battalions, brought to the front near BULLECOURT. They attacked the famed HINDENBURG LINE and during the first battle, on 11 April 1917, the diggers were driven from positions they’d gained near OG1 and OG2 trenches at a cost of 3000 casualties. James survived uninjured through this ordeal.

The second battle, fought for these same trenches between 3rd and 16th May, resulted in 7,000 Australian casualties. On the night of 3–4 May, the Australians took over OG2 where it crossed a roadway. For nearly three days, they defended and extended it as they endured machine-gun fire, artillery bombardment, vigorous and extensive grenade fights, and the flames of a German flamethrower.

Finally, this time the Germans gave up the area and village. They fell back to a new front line after horrific and at times barbaric fighting. The defence of OG2 cost the Battalion dearly. When relieved their ranks were ‘sadly thinned’, having suffered 309 casualties – 56 dead, 8 missing and 245 wounded.

Private John Ware fought unwounded through those desperate days & nights, wrote to his mother, of the dead & wounded of BULLECOURT
‘Sometimes they are blown to pieces, others not so bad, limbs off, skulls knocked in ... the only burial they get at the time is a coat over their face.’

Private James JONES was one of the casualties killed in the charge and initial taking of OG1/2 on the 3rd May, 1917. The Australian Memorial Park now looks over the fields of BULLECOURT in FRANCE; the BULLECOURT DIGGER statue there recalls the thousands of Australians who fought here in April and May 1917 in the first and second battles of BULLECOURT. They captured a couple of square kilometres of trenches from the Germans, trenches which formed a small section of the formidable ‘Hindenburg Line’.

A couple of hundred metres from the Memorial is a cross dedicated to Australians ‘missing in action’ in both battles. This is very near where trench OG2 crossed the road.

On 5th June, 1917, the JONES family were at home in WILMINGTON when they were notified that James had been killed. They were later advised James was one of those never found.

His name is recorded on the VILLIERS BRETTONEAUX Memorial with very close to 11,000 other Australians Missing in Action in this area of the Western Front.

Albert later received James’ British War Medal, Victory Medal, Memorial Scroll and Plaque along with a copy of the ‘Kings Message’.

Albert and Mary JONES are buried together in their home town cemetery in WILMINGTON. On the headstone they gave their oldest son, recognition, "Jim" killed in France. In doing so they've done something no one else could do for this man, they gave him a headstone.

James is also commemorated on the Australian War Memorial on the Roll of Honour and on the Wilmington and Hammond Honour Rolls at The WILMINGTON Soldiers Memorial Hall.

LEST WE FORGET.