BORN – Whittington
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation / Holy Trinity Church
JOB – Apprentice Butcher
UNIT – 1 Bn King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
RANK – Private 37389
THEATRE – 100 Days / Bethune. Les Harisoires. 1 Bn King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) 8 August 1918
DIED – KIA 8 August 1918
BURIED – Loos Memorial (grave unknown). (CWGC)
George Henry Jones was born in 1900 at Whittington. He was the third child of parents John and Annie. He had 2 elder siblings – John and Lili – John would also be killed in the war, (Private 200588 John R (Richard) Jones, 1/4 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. KIA 3 November 1918, Jenlain Communal Cemetery,) – and 3 younger Frederick, Charles and Ivy.
In 1901 the family lived at Penmaen Cottage, Brithdir, near to Dollgelau. his father was a gardener probably working at Penmaen Hall. By 1911 they were living at 16 Signal Terrace, Albert Road, Oswestry. After leaving school George had a apprenticeship working as a butcher for Messrs. Faulks on Willow Street.
George enlisted in Shrewsbury; he was a conscript and was posted to 1 Bn King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment , serving with them in France. The German spring offensive had by now been held and at the beginning of August the Allies began their advance eastward in the ‘Last 100 days’. George was KIA on 8 August 1918. At that time the battalion was pushing forward in the area to the north of Bethune. They were sending out patrols to probe enemy positions and establish a new line along the Rue de Halage and the Canal de Midi. As they moved forward towards the River Trebeaute they came under enemy machine gun fire, George was one of the victims. His body was lost and he is commemorated on the Loos Memorial. George is also commemorated at Holy Trinity Church, Oswestry. At the time of his death his brother John was also serving in France, he was KIA on 3 November 1918, just a week short of the Armistice.
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