Todger: Thomas Jones VC, DCM, 1st Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment

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On 25 September 1916, during the Battle of Morval, Jones performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was with his company covering the advance in front of a village, when he noticed an enemy sniper 200 yards (183 m) away. He left his trench on his own, and crossed no man's land without covering fire. Although one bullet went through his helmet and another through his coat, he returned the sniper's fire and killed him. Near the enemy trench, he saw two more Germans firing on him while simultaneously displaying a white flag. Jones shot them both. Upon reaching the enemy trench, he found several occupied dug-outs and single-handedly disarmed 102 Germans. Three or four were officers, and the entire trench was taken by Jones and his comrades. [1] [2] With the trees that were snapped we kept on replacing them but in the end we couldn’t afford it." Read More Related Articles Both Robert and William Jones were gazetted for the Victoria Cross on 2nd May 1879, and he was presented with his medal on 11th September that year by General Sir Garnet Wolseley at Utrecht, KwaZulu Natal. Shortly after this, Jones was posted to India with the 2nd Battalion. Our team has since April has seen the VCT attend over 20 mainstream military events and been responsible for organising a number of our own including a special DDay memorial event at Lakeside Doncaster. Supported by veterans, re-enactors and enthusiasts supporting the VCT we have grown our network and profile to such an extent that the VCT events team are now first on the list for significant events in 2022. The purpose of the events is not to simply raise funds, it provides a meaningful opportunity for veterans to get out and about and enjoy the company of their colleagues and tell heir stories to the public. This omission is a telling point. It is doubtful that 'any' reporter would have been unaware of this fact, the plight of a motherless child. These circumstances also scotch completely, alledged reports that a child born in South Africa was 'sent to relatives in Wales after his birth in South Africa '. Firstly, a child under a certain age would have been too young to travel, and also raises the question of who cared for the child when 593 rejoined his regiment, which was immediately after he had buried the remains of his wife. Then again, who indeed, made the travel arrangements for the child to return to Wales ? Travel records from around this period are non-existent so there are no means of validation available to confirm the child's return to the UK .

As the collective dusts of time blow over the decades and the memories of our VC awarded hero, what legacy remains of 593 Private William Jones VC? The house where he died, the house of Emily Goodwin, was demolished in a re-development scheme in the 1950's to make way for what is a car park behind the Apollo Theatre in Manchester . The users of the car park may have no idea who died there, or the pain that William Jones VC suffered in his later years, especially at the time he died. A subscription grave, a grave shared with others rests in Philip's Park cemetery in Manchester , a grave that was moved some 30 yards further inward some time ago to accommodate a road-widening scheme near the gas works. Although the grave is well-tended and the stone had the letters 'VC' added to it in the 1980's,it lies in a section shared with paupers and other unmarked graves, one of which belongs to Jones's fellow Rorke's Drift defender, Joshua Lodge, whose grave lies 20 yards to the left of William Jones's. On first impression, the section that William Jones VC is buried in could be overlooked, as the graves are not apparent unless you know where to go. No. 31259". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 March 1919. pp.4153–4163. Index of First World War VCs, also indicates original Gazette in which citation appeared, and some corrections to the original entries. I was a bit intrigued about how a single man could round up over 100 prisoners so did a bit of "googling" and found the following personal account from the man himself, taken from “The Poona Star” of 24 August 1929. It certainly made me smile......... The birth is registered by Albert's mother, Elizabeth Frodsham, as were all the Frodsham children's births. The father of Albert Ulundi Frodsham is listed as Charles Frodsham, who is still employed as an 'Awl Blade Maker', and the birth was registered on 20th June 1881,registrar's name is Fred Fowler. The final child to the Frodsham couple, a girl, called Elizabeth Frodsham was born on 19th June 1883 at number 7 Holt Street , Duddeston, Aston, with Mr Fowler, once again the registrar of the birth. He was 35 years old when on 25 September 1916, during the Battle of Morval, Jones performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was with his company covering the advance in front of a village, when he noticed an enemy sniper 200 yards (183m) away. He left his trench on his own, and crossed no man's land without covering fire. Although one bullet went through his helmet and another through his coat, he returned the sniper's fire and killed him. Near the enemy trench, he saw two more Germans firing on him while simultaneously displaying a white flag. Jones shot them both. Upon reaching the enemy trench, he found several occupied dug-outs and single-handedly disarmed 102Germans. Three or four were officers, and the entire trench was taken by Jones and his comrades. [2] [3]The term 'Phthisis' is used to denote TB, or any chronic wasting disease of the lungs; in the case of miners, who were common sufferers of this illness, the word 'Phthisis' is pre-fixed by the use of the word 'miners'. We will now examine the alleged reports, that have filtered down the decades, that Elizabeth Jones died whilst she gave birth to a son. The Durban Birth Registers, volume 14/11/1877 - 20/06/1882 (no index available) shows only one 'Jones' birth during the entire period, namely, 26th December 1878.The child's parents in this case were John Thomas Jones, occupation: Boatman; mother, Elizabeth Jane Cooper, clearly not our couple on this occassion. No other 'Jones' entries can be found, neither any birth related to the surname 'Goddard' in the Durban Birth Registers. The emergence, On 25 September 1916 in a fit of rage, ‘Todger’ had gone over the top alone during the Battle of Morval on the Somme. He was last seen by his friends leaping into an enemy trench and it was assumed that he was dead. But, to the astonishment of his comrades, Todger returned with over 100 prisoners. Mike Hill is an award-winning journalist who has worked in the newspaper industry for more than 25 years holding senior news and features desk roles at some of UK’s most respected regional titles. He was born in Liverpool and lives on Merseyside with his wife and two sons. Christmas Truce by the Men Who Took Part: Letters from the 1914 Ceasefire on the Western Front is his fourth book.

A total of 21 Victoria Cross recipients headstones or memorials have been cleaned during the period 23 April 2021 to 14 October 2021. In addition, a significant number of headstones or memorials with military connections, have been cleaned while working in these cemeteries. Events & VolunteersPrivate William Jones VC. Once, around the early 1800's, there was a family called Jones, whose members lived in the Llandecford, Abersychan and Trevethin areas of Monmouthshire, a county of South-East Wales . The members of the Jones family were employed in a variety of trades that included construction, iron foundry, but most notably, shoe-making. Many of the Jones family were employed in a boot factory that was located in the town of Abersychan , and the skills that these individuals learnt would be passed down Christmas Truce by the Men Who Took Part: Letters from the 1914 Ceasefire on the Western Frontis the largest collection ever drawn together of letters sent home by the officers and soldiers who laid down their guns and shook hands with their foes. Marshall, P. J. (1996). The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-00254-0. It would be of interest to ascertain just why Charles and Elizabeth gave their son Albert Frodsham the middle name of 'Ulundi'. Neither 593 Pte William Jones nor Charles Frodsham was present at this battle. One possible reason is that the normal Jones saturnine sense of humour, was underwritten in William Jones VC by a dramatic element that would later see our steady-plodder appear on stage in Buffalo Bill's Wild-West Show, and perhaps Jones was able to narrate the tales of his actions in South Africa with such precision that he impressed the Frodshams enough so that they gave their last-born son this unique middle-name. Another simile is that the writers of this article have found one Edward ' Durban ' Jones on the GRO birth indexes in their searches, this child being born to Edward and Phoebe Margaret Jones (formerly Jones) on 18th November 1899, registered in Denbigh, North Wales . Could the reason that this child had been given the middle name ' Durban ' also suggest a link with South Africa , and that there was a minor trend at work throughout the Anglo-Zulu War period, where children born around this time were given middle names of battles and places associated with these campaigns? The 2nd/24th were present at 'The Citadel', Western Heights , Hougham, Dover , Kent around the later part of the year 1876,then briefly at Chatham , Kent , before they departed for South Africa .593 Pte William Jones and his young wife, Elizabeth Jones, arrived in South Africa with the 2nd/24th,and after some time there, Elizabeth became seriously ill and died. The Durban Death Register, volume 05/01/1868 - 30/12/1881 (no index available), shows death entry number 129,date-of-death 11th October 1878,for one Elizabeth Jones, female, aged 24 years, wife of William Jones, cause of death: Phthisis-Pulmonaris; John Wade, undertaker, Durban; death registered 11th October 1878,certified by CB Jennings, surgeon, AM department. The cause of death of Elizabeth Jones raises a point of interest in regards to the alleged birth of a child to the Jones couple in South Africa, and, her cause of death.'Phithisis' is a Greek word for 'wasting away' and is a lung-complaint suffered by people who

She said: "Volunteers have worked for over five years to keep the Butterfly House open to the public, over that time it was clear the glasshouses were in bad condition and the only way to continue was to rebuild. The 628 awards of the Victoria Cross given for action during the First World War account for almost half the 1356 Victoria Crosses awarded throughout its history; in comparison the Second World War saw 181 medals awarded. Noel Godfrey Chavasse was awarded the Victoria Cross and Bar, for two separate actions in the First World War on the battlefields of Mametz and Passchendaele. He died from wounds received in the second action. [16] Arthur Martin-Leake received a Bar to his Victoria Cross for action in the First World War; he had been awarded his first Victoria Cross for action in the Second Boer War. The VC was awarded for " Cpl Collins' battalion was forced to lie out in the open under heavy shell fire and machine gun fire. He repeatedly went out and rescued wounded men and in later operations, he rallied his troops for a final assault, despite uncut wire and heavy close fire. He bayoneted fifteen enemy troops and covered the reorganisation and consolidation with a Lewis gun even though he was isolated and under continual fire from snipers and guns."

Summary

A brass plaque to Digby-Jones lies on the south aisle of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh. The plaque states that it was erected by his parents and brothers. Jones is buried in Runcorn Cemetery and his Victoria Cross medal group is displayed at the Cheshire Military Museum in Chester. [4] [5] Statue [ edit ] Dignitaries in front of the statue following its unveiling SIXTH SUPPLEMENT TO The London Gazette Of TUESDAY, the 8th of JANUARY, 1918". The London Gazette (30471): 725. 11 January 1918.

He had captured them single-handed. ‘Todger’ arrived in France with the Cheshire Regiment in January 1915. As a marksman, scout and skilled bomber, ‘Todger’ had many extraordinary encounters and in addition to his VC, also earned the DCM for a further act of remarkable gallantry. Also, in the museum is his helmet with the bullet hole through the front. (I'll try to upload pics of his medals and helmet if I can figure out how to do it) Here in Runcorn we have a place called 'Morval Cresent' - Which was named after the Battle of Morval where the VC was won. Last year (or maybe the year before, we had a new retail Park built and the road up to it has been named - ' Thomas Jones Way' - Again, in his honour. A previous post was asking if there was a Welsh connection. In a word - Yes. - His Father was a Lead Miner in Flintshire;and they later moved to Runcorn.The best tribute of all to 593 Private William Jones VC would be for all his descendants, whatever their form to unite together and function as a collective. This should be a time for celebration and re-union. This story has a long way to go before its conclusion has been reached. The next part of the story starts here...Watch this space. A must-have for military historians, enthusiasts, academics, students, scholars and those interested in the First World War