Cyril Jones was born in Oswestry in December 1898; his baptism was on 20 January 1899 at Holy Trinity Church. He was the fifth of six children of George Henry Jones and Margaret Elizabeth (nee Vaughan). In 1901 the family was living at Llwyn House, Llwyn Road. During the next years they moved to Morda and in 1911 lived at 2 Roseberry Terrace. Cyril’s father, George, formerly a brewer’s clerk, was working as a commercial traveller for a coal dealer at that time.

Cyril enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers in February 1917. He went over to France in April 1918 and served with the 7 Bn RF. According to his obituary in the Border Counties Advertiser he was wounded in May 1918. In July 1918 he had recovered and returned to duty and was re-posted to 9 Bn RF. Cyril was killed in action on 8 August 1918, the opening day of the Battle of Amiens and start of the 100 Days offensive leading to the end of the war. The battalion was operating near Morlancourt on the River Somme. He was only 19 years old. His body was lost and he has no known grave. Cyril is commemorated on Vis en Artois Memorial – his name was not included originally and has only recently been added to the memorial. He is also commemorated at St. Oswald’s Church, Oswestry.

On the CWGC listing Cyril’s parents give their address as ‘Kitchener House’, Morda. It is possible that this was a naming of their house in Morda in a patriotic gesture to commemorate the drowning in 1915 of Lord Kitchener, the War Minister when HMS Hampshire was sunk. The tragedy sent shock waves through an already charged and fervent population.

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