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William Oliver Jones
40657, Private, 7th Suffolk Regiment
Killed in action, 9 August 1917, aged 33
No known grave (Arras Memorial, France)
CWGC registered (no family details)
William Oliver Jones, the son of Edward and Mary Ellen Jones was born in Llandudno on 5 August 1884. He was the second of his parents’ nine children. Edward Jones was the Welsh Wesleyan pastor in Llandudno from 1882 until 1885 after which he took up duties at Llanasa, Flintshire; in 1888 he was moved again to Talysarn near Caernarfon. The Census of Wales for 1891 records the family living at “Glynafon”, Talysarn. Ten years later, William was living at 7 & 9 High Street, Portmadoc and described as a draper’s assistant. In 1909, William married Margaret Wellings (b Shrewsbury 28 February 1889). Their first daughter Margaret Eleanor was born in 1909 and according to her baptismal record, the family resided at “St. Garmons”, Trevor Street, Llandudno. The Census of 1911 records William, Margaret, Margaret Eleanor and a second daughter, Mary Gwendoline (b 1911), living at 5 Royd Terrace, Colwyn Bay. A son, Edward A Jones, was born in 1912 and a daughter, Doris, was born in 1915.
William Jones’ service record no longer exists. Soldiers Died in the Great War records that he enlisted at Llandudno. It seems likely that he volunteered under the Derby Scheme in late 1915, given a day’s pay and transferred to the Reserve. He was called up mid-1916 and joined a Territorial Force Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment – probably the 3/6th – with a regimental number of 2619. He may have volunteered to join this particular regiment because his parents-in law, Henry and Margaret Wellings, had moved from Shropshire, where they lived in 1911, to Staffordshire where they were possibly joined by William’s wife and family. The Wellings’ address after the war was Station Road, Four Ashes, Near Wolverhampton.
If William Jones had believed that his chosen regiment would enable him to see his wife and children a little more often, then he was to have been disappointed because the 3/5th and 3/6th South Staffs, also known as the 5th and 6th Reserve Battalions, were based at Catterick in Yorkshire. His disappointment may have been compounded in September 1916 when he was transferred to the Suffolk Regiment and given the regimental number of 40657. He was posted to the 7th (Service) Battalion in France the following month.
On 9 August 1917, the 7th Suffolks was in the front line near Arras. Early in the morning, the battalion withdrew so the front lines could be bombarded by artillery prior to raids being launched into the German trenches with “a view to killing any survivors, identifying information and destroying dugouts.” The plan was executed and judged successful though the price, according to Commonwealth War Grave Commission records, was the death that day of 39 men from the battalion. Of those 39, 29 have no known grave, including William Jones aged 33.
Williams’ connection with South Staffordshire can be confirmed because his father-in-law, Henry Wellings died at Four Ashes in 1919, and his mother-in-law Margaret Wellings and his widow Margaret Jones died at nearby Brewood in 1951 and 1978 respectively. William is remembered on the Coven War Memorials as are his brothers-in-law Edwin Wellings and Henry William Wellings.
Known memorials:
- Arras Memorial, France
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
- Coven Memorial Hall
- St. Paul’s Church, Coven
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