JONES, William
No. G/1207, Private, William Charles JONES
Aged 17
12th Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment)
Killed in Action on Saturday 8th January, 1916
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Born Chelsea about 1899. The William Charles Jones, born Chelsea (Chelsea Q1-1900 1A:440) but his mother's maiden name was Clarke. His family is so far still unproven, apart from his apparently being the son of Kate Elizabeth JONES (née WOODS ? born Norton 1875).and Grandson of Emily Anne WOODS of Exning, and it seems, the brother of Katherine Elizabeth JONES (born 1897 in Fulham). It was possibly his mother, a servant, at Severals Lodge, Newmarket in the 1891 census, but a marriage cannot be found to Jones. From CWGC he was the son of the late Mrs Kate Elizabeth Jones of Fulham, London. From "grandmother" below:- Emily Anne WOODS, 10 Ash Terrace, Lacey's Lane , Exning had her 14 years old granddaughter Katherine Elizabeth JONES with her in 1911, who could be a sister of William, but this Katherine has not been identified in the 1901 census or birth registrations. Mrs Woods' son William WOODS was killed very early in the war. and is included in these records. William's entry in "Our Exning Heroes" reads as follows: Jones, W. 12th Batt. Middlesex Regiment. William Jones, a grandson of Mrs. Woods at the Telephone Office, Oxford Street, was killed while changing sentries, by a bullet under the right eye on January 8th, 1916. Death was instantaneous, and he was buried near Meaulte. He was in the Parish Church Choir as a boy, and afterwards went to a situation in London where he joined up soon after war broke out, although he was then considerably under age, and not 18 when he died. The following are extracts from a letter to Mrs. Woods, written by a 2nd Lieutenant: "Your grandson always worked cheerfully and well, we all miss him very much….On one occasion I had to call for five volunteers to reconnoitre some cottages and sundry roads in front of our lines, and about sixty yards from the German trenches. One of the first to volunteer was your grandson, and our party was out for about four hours (at night, of course). He was quite good at this work, and perfectly cool and steady all the time." A report in the Newmarket Journal of 5th February 1916:- KILLED IN ACTION Pte. William Charles Jones was, we regret to learn, killed in action on January 8th last. Pte Jones, who joined the 12th Middlesex Regt. soon after the outbreak of the war, was only 17 years of age. He was a grandson of Mrs. Woods, of the Exning Telephone Office, who brought him up as a child, both of his parents dying when he was a child.. He had been working in London before he enlisted. While at Exning he was a member of St.Martin's Church choir. A son of Mrs. Woods' was the first Exning hero to lay down his life in the present war. She has two other sons and two sons in law now serving, but Pte Jones was the only grandson whom she had in the Army. The Cambridge Independent Press of 4th February 1916 recorded:- LOCAL CASUALTIES - Exning Man Killed - Private Wm.Charles Jones of the 12th Middlesex Regt.,grandson of Mrs. Woods of the Telephone Call Office, Exning, was killed in action on January 8th. He was only 17 years of age. He was brought up by his grandmother in Exning and was a choir boy at the parish church.Mrs Woods has two sons still serving. One of her sons was the first Exning soldier to be killed in the war. |
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On the 1st January 1916 battalion was billeted at Meaulte which is south east of Albert. On the 8th January 1916, the 12th Middlesex Regiment moved forward to
the front line taking over the trenches in the D1 sector south of Fricourt (east of Albert). William seems to have been hit by a sniper, he was the only one
of his battalion killed that day. |
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