WORKING DRAFT

John Clifford Jones (known as Cliff) was born on 17 February 1885 in Oystermouth. He was the third child of William Hullin and Elizabeth Burt Jones.

The first record of Cliff is the 1891 Census. At the time he was 6 years old and living with his mother, who was listed as a Stationers Wife, and two elder siblings at The Dunns, Oystermouth.

By 1901, it appears the family had set up a post office at their Stationers Shop at the Dunns. His father is listed as Sub Post Master & Stationer and Cliff was working as a Post Office Clerk.

In 1911, Cliff was 26 years old and still living with his family and a younger brother at the Dunns. His father was now listed as a Boot and Stationary Dealer and Cliff had changed jobs and become a Clerk at a Coal Exporter.

At the outbreak of the Great War, Cliff enlisted in the army. After he completed his basic training in Swansea, he would have seen little of his family until the end of the war.

Following the War, Cliff returned to Oystermouth and in 1921 is listed as a General Clerk working for L Guinet & Co Ltd, Coal Exporters, Cambrian Place, Swansea. He was living with his widowed mother and a brother at 67 Queens Street.

His Great nephew added: He married Aunty May, on 17 February 1927 but he had no children. He was always known as Cliff or Clifford.

In the 1939 Register, Cliff and May are shown living at 22 Caswell Road, Swansea. Once again, Cliff is listed as a Coal Exporter.

Cliff Jones passed away on 8 October 1971 in Swansea at the age of 86.

Clifford Jones enlisted in the 1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade in Swansea as a Gunner shortly after the start of the Great War and was given the Service Number 1024. Unfortunately, his Service Record was destroyed during the Blitz. However, it is still possible to piece together some of his service using other surviving records. Based on his Service Number, Gnr Jones enlisted on 15 September 1914 in the first wave of war-time recruits. He would have undertaken his basic training at the Brigade Depot in Swansea and he appears in the photo of the Brigade recruits published in the Cambria Daily Leader on 9 December 1914.

For unknown reasons, he did not travel with the rest of the Brigade to Egypt in 1915. However, it does appear that he put his civilian skills as a Clerk to good use and was rapidly promoted to Battery Quarter Master Sergeant (BQMS).

The only other record identified is a Hospital Admission from 1918. On 23 October 1918, BQMS Jones was admitted to No. 34 Casualty Clearing Station and Grevilliers, France suffering from Influenza. This record gives his unit as C Battery of 94 Brigade (C/94).

94 Brigade was attached the 21st Division (one of Kitcheners New Divisions) throughout the War. So, it is possible – although there is no evidence to confirm this - that he served with them for his time at the front.

His family have a number of lovely photos of Cliff Jones BQMS during his service which are shown in the Image Library (link above).

For his service in the Great War, Cliff Jones was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.