Jones was involved in the Battle of Loos in September–October 1915 and later served in the Ypres Salient in Belgium the following year. The 20th Division was among those tasked for the Battle of the Somme, and from 22 August 1916 it served in the Somme sector in France. On 3 September 1916, it was tasked with the capture of the village of Guillemont, which was strongly garrisoned by German forces. Jones was by now a sergeant. His platoon was part of a company ordered forward to strengthen the flank but it became cut off. Its commanding officer killed, for two days, under Jones's command, the trapped platoon resisted German attempts to capture their position. Even when relieved by units of the 16th (Irish) Division, he remained in the line for several hours before withdrawing. For his actions, he was awarded the VC. The VC, instituted in 1856, was the highest award for valour that could be bestowed on a soldier of the British Empire. The citation for his VC read as follows: