BORN – Selattyn
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation / Holy Trinity
JOB – Labourer
UNIT – 6 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
RANK – Corporal 15748
THEATRE – Ypres / Third Ypres / Battle of Menin Road. Langemark. 6 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. 20 sept 1917
DIED – KIA 20 September 1917. Aged 27
BURIED – Tyne Cot Memorial (grave unknown). (CWGC)
Robert Edward Jones was born in 1890 at Selattyn – the third child of Richard and Ann Roberts. There would be 13 children; only 7 would survive to adulthood. His father was a wood sawyer at the railway works. The family lived at Lower Hengoed and by 1901 at 2 New Park Road off Whittington Road in Oswestry. By 1911 they have moved around the corner to live at 28 Whittington Road. Robert worked as a labourer and at the outbreak of war was working for Mr Jacks of The Castle, Oswestry – a mineral water and drinks merchant. Robert enlisted at Oswestry in 6 Bn KSLI and was one of the Oswestry Pals. However. he did not go over to France until 12 December 1915.
Robert was KIA on 20 September 1917, the opening day of the Battle of Menin Road during Third Ypres. The 6 Bn KSLI were engaged as support troops to the main offensive and were operating in the area around Langemarck. His body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial. He is also commemorated on the war memorial at Holy Trinity Church, Oswestry.
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