97745 Spr Ernest Jones, Royal Engineers, German Spring Offensive 1918 casualty Ernest Jones, born circa 1885, was from Portsmouth. He married Bessie Rose (nee Burns) on 22 March 1913 and the couple had two children, Mabel Agnes and Lily Maud. By 1915 the family were living at 185 Westfield Road, Portsmouth and Ernest was working as a woodwork machinist. Attesting his willingness to serve at Portsmouth on 1 May 1915, aged 29 years 10 months, he served in the Royal Engineers under the Regimental Number 97745, seemingly joining the same day and then being accepted by the Officer Commanding Depot Companies, Royal Engineers at Chatham on 14 May. His Descriptive Report on Enlistment noted his height as 5 feet 8 1/22 and his chest measurement (girth when fully expanded) at 36”. He was recorded upon attestation as a Sawyer and graded ‘Superior’. Subsequent assessments considered his skill with machinery for sawing up timber, planning and moulding machines, morticing and tenoning machines, and band saws. After passing through the Billeting Battalion, 155th Field Company (a Field Company of the 16th (Irish) Division), and No.2 Depot Company , he was transferred to the British Expeditionary Force on 3 July 1916 to serve on the Western Front. A fit man (medical category ‘A’ on enlistment), given this and his skill-set it seems most likely that he was posted to one of the RE Field Companies, possibly in one of the divisions of the Third or Fifth Armies. Spr Jones was wounded on 24 March 1918, suffering a gun shot wound to the back and head for which he was later pensioned. This date coincides with the opening dates of the Battle of Bapaume and the Battles of the Somme Crossings, both phases of the German Spring Offensive 1918, and it is quite likely that he was wounded in the course of one of these battles. He was listed as Wounded in War Office Daily List No. 5555, Report Date 2 May 1918 and thereby entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916, the terms of this award being met by being named in this list. The list confirmed his Next of Kin Address as Highbridge (his wife is recorded as having moved to 2 Prospect Place, Highbridge). He was evacuated to the UK thereafter, passing through 2 Western General Hospital. He was subsequently posted to the 2nd Reserve Battalion, RE. Passing through No.1 Dispersal Unit at Fovant on 8 February, he was transferred to the Army ‘Z’ Reserve upon demobilisation and then pensioned for one year after discharge for a 20% disabling wound at 5/6 a week, commencing 8 March 1919. His postwar address was Oakwood House, London Road, Portsmouth. He would have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal, his full entitlement, probably some time after May 1920. He sadly died due to an accident on 18 November 1920. His widow, Bessie Rose, later made a pension claim, which was refused owing to cause of death. She was residing at 56 Burlington Road, Portsmouth at this time.

97745 Spr Ernest Jones, Royal Engineers, German Spring Offensive 1918 casualty

Ernest Jones, born circa 1885, was from Portsmouth. He married Bessie Rose (nee Burns) on 22 March 1913 and the couple had two children, Mabel Agnes and Lily Maud. By 1915 the family were living at 185 Westfield Road, Portsmouth and Ernest was working as a woodwork machinist. Attesting his willingness to serve at Portsmouth on 1 May 1915, aged 29 years 10 months, he served in the Royal Engineers under the Regimental Number 97745, seemingly joining the same day and then being accepted by the Officer Commanding Depot Companies, Royal Engineers at Chatham on 14 May. His Descriptive Report on Enlistment noted his height as 5 feet 8 1/22 and his chest measurement (girth when fully expanded) at 36”. He was recorded upon attestation as a Sawyer and graded ‘Superior’. Subsequent assessments considered his skill with machinery for sawing up timber, planning and moulding machines, morticing and tenoning machines, and band saws. After passing through the Billeting Battalion, 155th Field Company (a Field Company of the 16th (Irish) Division), and No.2 Depot Company , he was transferred to the British Expeditionary Force on 3 July 1916 to serve on the Western Front. A fit man (medical category ‘A’ on enlistment), given this and his skill-set it seems most likely that he was posted to one of the RE Field Companies, possibly in one of the divisions of the Third or Fifth Armies.

Spr Jones was wounded on 24 March 1918, suffering a gun shot wound to the back and head for which he was later pensioned. This date coincides with the opening dates of the Battle of Bapaume and the Battles of the Somme Crossings, both phases of the German Spring Offensive 1918, and it is quite likely that he was wounded in the course of one of these battles. He was listed as Wounded in War Office Daily List No. 5555, Report Date 2 May 1918 and thereby entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916, the terms of this award being met by being named in this list. The list confirmed his Next of Kin Address as Highbridge (his wife is recorded as having moved to 2 Prospect Place, Highbridge). He was evacuated to the UK thereafter, passing through 2 Western General Hospital. He was subsequently posted to the 2nd Reserve Battalion, RE.

Passing through No.1 Dispersal Unit at Fovant on 8 February, he was transferred to the Army ‘Z’ Reserve upon demobilisation and then pensioned for one year after discharge for a 20% disabling wound at 5/6 a week, commencing 8 March 1919. His postwar address was Oakwood House, London Road, Portsmouth.

He would have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal, his full entitlement, probably some time after May 1920.

He sadly died due to an accident on 18 November 1920. His widow, Bessie Rose, later made a pension claim, which was refused owing to cause of death. She was residing at 56 Burlington Road, Portsmouth at this time.