Soldier Record
John (Jack) Jones
Contributed by: Anne Perret, on 2008-11-09
| Rank | |
|---|---|
| First Name | John (Jack) |
| Surname | Jones |
| Year of Birth | 1899 |
| Year of Death | 1918 |
| Regiment | Royal Guernsey Light Infantry |
| Place of Wartime Residence | Bermondsey London, Greater London |
John (Jack)'s Story
I know very little about my grandmother's brother John, except that he was very quiet and studious and she named my dad after him.
It's as though he never existed
We'd always understood that he joined the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry, but having looked at his joining up papers, it seems he orginally joined the 2nd North Staffordshire Regiment. So how come he died while serving with the RGLI?
How he died is also a mystery. He has no known grave so he is recorded on the War Memorial at Tyne Cot. Wikipedia puts the RGLI on 8-29 March 1918 as 'In Battle zone, front line at Poelcappelle. After this, rest and training'. I know that Poelcappelle was one of the opening battles of Paschendaele, but that was on October 9th 1917. I would so like to know how this young man died - he trod so lightly on the world and it's as though he never existed. That face looks so young and vulnerable and I do wonder why he's wearing a black armband.
Having researched some more, it seems he died on 21 March 1918, the first day of the German Spring offensive. He was probably blown to pieces in a front line trench.
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