BORN – Whittington
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation / Holy Trinity Church
JOB – Gardener
UNIT – 1/4 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
RANK – Private 200588
THEATRE – 100 Days / Jenlain. 1/4 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. 3 November 1918.
DIED – KIA 3 November 1918. Aged 21.
BURIED – Jenlain Communal Cemetery. (CWGC)
John Richard Jones was born in 1897 at Whittington (Hindford). He was the eldest of 6 surviving children of John and Annie Jones with younger siblings Lily, George (who would also be a casualty of the war), Frederick, Charles and Ivy. Their father was a domestic gardener and seems to have moved a number of times, probably for work. In 1901 they were living at Penmaen Cottage, Brithdir near Dolgellau and then spent time at Llangollen before moving to Oswestry around 1910. In 1911 the family was living at 16 Signal Terrace, Albert Road, Oswestry. John also worked as a gardener and worked for WH Corbett, Salop Road – this is possibly Private 17292 William H Corbett – who in 1911 was head gardener at Coed y Maen, Meifod.
Before the war John joined the territorials, enlisting in 1/4 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry; given his birth year this was most likely in 1913 or early 1914. He was a recipient of the Territorial Forces Medal. At the outbreak of war he went with the battalion to India and the Far East and then returned to serve in France from July 1917. Sometime after this he was wounded and spent time in England before returning to rejoin 1/4 Bn KSLI. He was killed in action on 3 November 1918. At this time the battalion was following up the rapid retreat of the enemy and was engaged in various actions against the enemy rearguard. On 3 November they advanced from Maresches towards the high ground southwest of Jenlain. During the afternoon they came under a heavy enemy barrage (Battle of Sambre) and had to advance under constant machine gun fire. Casualties were severe, amounting to 110 killed and wounded – 11 of whom are buried alongside John. This was the last action the battalion fought; the war would end about a week later on 11 November 1918. John was buried in Jenlain Community Cemetery. He is also commemorated at Holy Trinity Church, Oswestry.
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