Capt George Victor Jones M.C and 2 bars, Welch Regt

1895 Sep 18. Born Cardiff, Glamorgan

1901 census at 96, Malefant Street, Roath, Glamorgan

1911 census Living at 114 Gelligaer St, Cardiff

1916 Nov 22. Commissioned 2nd Lt

1917 Nov 23. On the night of 22nd-23rd November the 40th Division relieved the 62nd Division. At 1030 a.m. on 23rd November, assisted by 12 tanks, the 119th and 121st Brigades attacked the wood and village respectively, advancing under a barrage up a gentle slope, while the 5lst Division attempted to retake Fontaine, out of which it had been driven on the afternoon of the 21st. The G.O.C., 119th Brigade, whose Headquarters were in Graincourt, detailed the 19th R.W.F. to lead the assault on the right and the 12th S.W.B. on the left. The 17th Welsh (lieutenant-Colonel A. J. Andrews, D.S.O., M.C.) were in close support, and the 18th Welsh (Lieutenant-Colonel W. Kennedy, M.C.) in reserve, In the 17th Welsh “A” and “D” Companies were ordered to support the 19th R.W.F., and “B” and “C” the 12th S.W.B. [2nd-Lieutenant G.V. Jones, M.C., 18th Welsh, Bombing Officer, 119th Brigade,

1918 Jan 8. Gazetted M.C. 2nd Lt. George Victor Jones, Welsh R., Spec. Res. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty for carrying out two daring personal reconnaissances of the enemy's lines previous to a raid. When the raiding party were forced to withdraw under heavy machine gun and bomb fire, this officer, although wounded in two places, took steps to cover the withdrawal. By means of a small covering party led by himself, an attempt by the enemy to get round the flanks was frustrated, and all the wounded were safely brought back to our lines

1918 Mar 21. As every one knows the storm burst with great violence On 21st March on the whole of the 54 miles held by the Third and Fifth Armies. The British, fighting desperately and skillfully, were gradually forced back across all the ground which they had won in the battles of the Somme and Cambrai, till on 28th March the German advance was held. In this fighting the 9th at Beugny, and 18th at Mory, Welch in the 19th and 40th Divisions, respectively distinguished themselves greatly but suffered heavy losses. Worn out with incessant fighting these two Divisions were transferred to the quiet area near Armentieres, but found themselves again in the thick of the new offensive which the enemy launched in April. Here the 18th Welch were practically wiped out, one of the few surviving officers being Lieut. GV Jones MC, who received a bar to his decoration for gallant fighting.

1918 Apr 12th. The enemy did not attack seriously north of Messines on 11th and 12th April, and the opportunity of reorganising the line was seized. First the 57th Brigade, and later the 58th Brigade, were brought back to La Clytte, and then sent forward on 13th April to dig themselves in on the Spanbroekmoelen ridge, along the Lindenhoek—Wytschaete road, in a support position to the front line, which ran from just south of Wytschaete to east of Wulverghem. The 58th Brigade held the left of this line, the 9th Welsh in Regent Street, joining up with the 6th Wilts south-east of Spanbroekmoelen, the 10th Royal Warwicks being on their left. Meanwhile, on 12th April, the enemy had made a most dangerous advance towards Bailleul and Neuve Eglise, both of which were in the foothills of the Mont Des Cats dominating ridge. The 119th Brigade Composite Battalion, which included the 18th Welsh, who had received reinforcements of 200 men, was at last, relieved by a Brigade of the 31st Division, and fell back to take up a defensive position in support in a trench system running north and south through Strazeele. Here, on 13th April, Major Gough. M.C., 18th Welsh, who had been sent to command details of the East Surreys, was severely wounded and eventually died, and 2nd-Lieutenant G. V. Jones, M.C., was put in command till the Commanding Officer, who had been on sick leave returned a fortnight later. The 119th Composite Brigade under Colonel Brown had retired very slowly, fighting all the time, for four days.

1918 Apr 29 . To be temp Captain. 2nd Lt. G. V. Jones. M.C. (Spec. Res.).

1918 May 22. 2nd Lt to be Lt. 3rd Welsh G. V. Jones, M.C.

1918 Sep 13 Bar to MC gazetted. 2nd Lt. George Victor Jones, M.C., Welsh For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. This officer was at the headquarters of the brigade when information was received that the enemy had penetrated our line and were advancing. With another officer he proceeded at once in the direction from which they were approaching, and collecting and rallying the stragglers, he attacked the enemy, holding up the advance, and inflicting many losses. He helped to organise a line of posts, bringing fourteen machine guns into position, and until the brigade was ordered to withdraw he remained in the firing line acting as liaison officer with the brigade for the supply of ammunition, most of the time under heavy fire. (M.C. gazetted 26th September, 1917.)

1918 Sep 13. 2nd Bar to MC gazetted. 2nd Lt. George Victor Jones, M.C., Welsh For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when brigade bombing officer. He was instrumental in stopping an enemy advance, and when surrounded fought his way back during the night. He temporarily commanded another unit for a day in action under very heavy shelling and machine-gun fire, and by his personality got his men well dug in. (M.C. gazetted 26tn September, 1917.) (First Bar gazetted in this Gazette.)

1919 Dec 5. Welsh R. Lt. G. V. Jones, M.C. (3rd Bn., Spec. Res.), relinquishes the temp, rank of Capt. on ceasing to be empld. with a Serv. Bn.

1920 Sep 24 Joined ADRIC with service no 633. Posted to A Coy as Company Commander (effective 29 Sep) . Note that he served under Crozier from Jan 1915 to Jun 1918..

1920 Nov 2. Resigned ADRIC at his own request. Re commissioned in Regular Army

1920 Dec 10. Welch E.—Lt. George Victor Jones, M.C., from 3rd Bn., Spec. Res., to be Lt. 10th Dec, 1920, with seniority 22nd Mar. 1919.

1926 Nov 28 Marriage JONES - DAVIES.- On 28th November at Llandaff Cathedral, by the Rev. Canon D. AKRILL-JONES, M.A., Vicar of Llandaff, assisted by Rev. D John THOMAS, Rector of Canton. G. Victor JONES, M.C., Welch Regiment, younger son of Superintendent and Mrs. C. S. JONES, St. Michael's-road, Llandaff, to Gwyneth, younger daughter of Councilor Henry DAVIES, O.B.E., and Mrs. DAVIES, 63, Connaught-street, Cardiff.

1927 Oct 20. Spec. Appt. (Cl. GG)--Lt. G. V. Jones is seed, for serv. on the Staff.

GVJ went out to Shanghai for several years, with the Welch Regiment. The Second Battalion was deployed there in 1927 as part of the Shanghai Defence Force. I can remember our grandmother talking about her time there with him. She returned in June 1930 because she was expecting my mother, but GVJ didn't come back until 1932 some time.

1930 Jul 25. Welch R.—Lt. G. V. Jones, M.C., is restd. to the estabt.

1931 Apr 2. Lt to be Capt. Welch Regt. G V Jones M.C

1932 Mar 20. Seconded as an Adjutant in TA

1936 Jan 31. Capt G V Jones MC vacated post of Adjutant 6th Welch Regt and restored to establishment

1939 Register. Living at 63 Connaught Road , Cardiff with wife Gwyneth . His job is "A R P Office Candy". It is his wife's parents house, and her mother is living with them

1940 Feb 5. Welch R. Capt. G. V. Jones, M.C. (18286), to be Bt. Maj. 5th Feb. 1940.

1941 Oct 31. Capt. & Bt. Maj. G. V. Jones, M.C. (18286), ceases to belong to the Res. of Off. on account of ill-health, retaining the rank of Capt. & Bt. Maj.

1950 Jul 11. Leaves UK for Australia

1951 Mar 1. Leaves UK for Australia with his family

1985 Jan. Died in Surrey aged 90

ADRIC