2nd Lt. T.R. Jones - WWI British War Medal

[Candacestonestreet86]

This is my first British medal in my collection. Awarded to 2nd Lt. T.R. Jones.

Part of my family are Jones so that's one of the reasons I got it.

Any info on this soldier would be greatly appreciated.

[Candacestonestreet86]

The more I'm researching, it may be next to impossible to determine who they were without the service number.

 

[Trevor Arendall]

I will have to take a look at my resources in the morning. Might find something but  with such a common last name on an officer I would assume there will be more than one 2nd Lt with the name “T. R. Jones” who served in WW1. 

[Allan H.]

Is there anything stamped after the name? Typically, these would have a unit marked after the name. Jones is a VERY common name in England and STUPIDLY common among the Welsh. Unless we can narrow this hunt down significantly, the odds of identifying the original owner are miniscule. 

 

Allan

[Trevor Arendall]

8 hours ago, Allan H. said:

Is there anything stamped after the name? Typically, these would have a unit marked after the name. Jones is a VERY common name in England and STUPIDLY common among the Welsh. Unless we can narrow this hunt down significantly, the odds of identifying the original owner are miniscule. 

 

Allan

There usually isn’t a unit marking behind the name for officers on BWM or Victory medals. As far as I know the only officer campaign medals for WW1 with the unit after the name are the 1914 and 1914-15 stars. Both the BWM and Victory medal to officers will lack the unit unless they were in the RAF or RFC.

[Candacestonestreet86]

I think I've finally found the recipient of this medal!!!

His name was Thomas Reighton Jones Sr. He was in the Chinese Labour Corps during WWI and after the war immigrated to the US and became a Methodist Minister at Williamsville United Methodist Church in Williamsville, Illinois. During WWII he joined the US Army as a Chaplain and was stationed at Camp Murphy and Fort Ord as Chief of Chaplains. A lot of thanks goes to the people on British Medal Forum and US Militaria Forum for the help.

[S.ChrisKelly]

Likely, somewhere out there is a British issue Allied Victory Medal with this recipient's nane on its edge.  It's literally heartbreaking how these medal groups get separated, intentionally or unintentionally.  The First World War British medals are super extra notorious for suffering this fate.

[teamski]

It's entirely possible that he never got a WWI Victory medal.  If he was on colonial service, he wouldn't have got one.  The potential is there ....late, I know!

 

-Ski

[Baseplate]

Thomas Reighton Jones was initially enlisted into the 19th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers.

 

His Medal Index Card (MIC) records that he was first commissioned into the South Wales Borderers in June 1918 and then transferred into the Chinese Labour Corps. He entered France and Flanders in September 1918.

 

He applied for his medals in 1920 and was entitled to a WWI 'pair' - British War Medal and Victory Med

 

The address he gave for correspondence was Manitoba, Canada.

 

In 1972 Bertha, his widow, applied to the Ministry of Defence for a widow's pension.

 

. . . and, as a final note, officers did not get a Service number until post-WWI.

 

Best

 

Mike