JONES, John Pearce
| Service Number: | 6467 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 December 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 4th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Rhedee, Carnarvonshire, Wales, United Kingdom, 1857 |
| Home Town: | Norseman, Dundas, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Unknown |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Accidental (Injuries), France, 25 August 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Boulogne Eastern Cemetery Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Boulogne, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Boulder Roll of Honor, Norseman District Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Dec 1915: | Enlisted Australian Army (Post WW2), 6467, 4th Field Company Engineers | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar 1916: | Involvement Sapper, 6467, 4th Field Company Engineers, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Orsova embarkation_ship_number: A67 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Mar 1916: | Embarked Sapper, 6467, 4th Field Company Engineers, HMAT Orsova, Sydney |
Father and son died in France
John Pearce Jones was born in Rhedee, Carnarvonshire Wales. He enlisted December 1915 at Blackboy Hill in Western Australia and he gave his age as 44. Born in 1857 in Wales he was actually 58 years of age. At the time he was mining in Boulder, near Kalgoorlie. He arrived in France in with the 4th Field Company Australian Engineers during June 1916 and on August 25 1916 was admitted to hospital in Boulogne with a fractured skull and died the same day in the 3rd Canadian General Hospital.
At a Court of enquiry in to his death it was revealed that Jones had travelled to Boulogne with two other Australian engineers on orders to travel back to England. All of the men stayed in a room on the first floor of a café in Boulogne, and during the night one of his companions noted that Jones had left the bed, and at about 5.30 am, they were woken by the military police who had found Jones lying unconscious on the pavement beneath the window. He was taken to hospital but never regained consciousness and died at about 10.30 am the same day. Both men stated they had not been drinking, and that Jones was of a happy disposition and that he was about 66 years of age. The court found that Jones had fallen accidently from the window, which was open due to the night being very close, and there was no foul play involved. He is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.
His son, 4017 Private Ronald Owen Jones, 32nd Battalion AIF was killed in action almost 12 months later on the 25 June 1918. He was 22 years of age, having been born at Maryborough in Victoria. His mother, Elizabeth Jones, lived at Boulder, Western Australia. Ronald had joined up in May 1916, and arrived in France in March 1917, a few months before his father’s death. Ronald was caught absent with without leave on several occasions, and in March 1918 he had to front a Court Martial for absenting himself from a wiring party. He was found guilty and sentenced to 6 months hard labour, which was commuted to 90 days Field Punishment No.2. Ronald was killed in front of Morlancourt, 25 June 1918, 28 members of the Battalion had died the previous day, most when a shell hit a ration party in the reserve lines, but it not known if Ronald was a member of this group. The 32nd Battalion also mounted a raid in the early hours of this day, which was very successful, as the men entered the German trenches, capturing 3 prisoners and apparently killing about 30 of the enemy. No fatal casualties were reported by the raiders. Ronald has no known grave and is remembered on the Australian National Memorial at Villers Bretonneux-France.
Submitted 2 February 2017 by Stephen Brooks
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
John Pearce Jones was born in Rhedee, Carnarvonshire, Wales. He enlisted December 1915 at Blackboy Hill in Western Australia and he gave his age as 44. Born in 1857 in Wales he was actually 58 years of age. At the time he was mining in Boulder, near Kalgoorlie. He arrived in France in with the 4th Field Company Australian Engineers during June 1916 and on August 25 1916 was admitted to hospital in Boulogne with a fractured skull and died the same day in the 3rd Canadian General Hospital.
At a Court of enquiry in to his death it was revealed that Jones had travelled to Boulogne with two other Australian engineers on orders to travel back to England. All of the men stayed in a room on the first floor of a café in Boulogne, and during the night one of his companions noted that Jones had left the bed, and at about 5.30 am, they were woken by the military police who had found Jones lying unconscious on the pavement beneath the window. He was taken to hospital but never regained consciousness and died at about 10.30 am the same day. Both men stated they had not been drinking, and that Jones was of a happy disposition and that he was about 66 years of age. The court found that Jones had fallen accidently from the window, which was open due to the night being very close, and there was no foul play involved. He is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.
His son, 4017 Private Ronald Owen Jones, 32nd Battalion AIF was killed in action almost 12 months later on the 25 June 1918. He was 22 years of age, having been born at Maryborough in Victoria. His mother, Elizabeth Jones, lived at Boulder, Western Australia. Ronald had joined up in May 1916, and arrived in France in March 1917, a few months before his father’s death. Ronald was caught absent with without leave on several occasions, and in March 1918 he had to front a Court Martial for absenting himself from a wiring party. He was found guilty and sentenced to 6 months hard labour, which was commuted to 90 days Field Punishment No.2. Ronald was killed in front of Morlancourt, 25 June 1918, 28 members of the Battalion had died the previous day, most when a shell hit a ration party in the reserve lines, but it not known if Ronald was a member of this group. The 32nd Battalion also mounted a raid in the early hours of this day, which was very successful, as the men entered the German trenches, capturing 3 prisoners and apparently killing about 30 of the enemy. No fatal casualties were reported by the raiders. Ronald has no known grave and is remembered on the Australian National Memorial at Villers Bretonneux-France.
Biography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
John Pearce JONES was born in Rhedee, Carnarvonshire, Wales in 1857
His parents were John & Catherine JONES
He married Elizabeth TRAVARS
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