DOI: 10.5287/bodleianwj9.2
title: Edwin Jones, George Jones and James Jones

description: Left of picture: Pte 304009 Edwin Jones, 25th P.O. Rifles, 5th Btn London Rifle Brigade killed in action 6 Sept 1916 aged 39.
And his brother on the right: L/Cpl James Jones. 1/7th Royal Welch Fusiliers died from wounds received in Palestine on 6 November 1917
Centre: Their cousin George.
Mrs Jones: "The photograph was taken on the only occassion they were home on leave together with their cousin George in the centre. It was taken on the other side of the brook leading up to the cart track, over from Mill Lane, Guilsfield".

"Rifleman Edwin Jones was the eldest son of Edwin and Mary Jones, Smithy, Guilsfield. He was reported missing at the Battle of the Somme but later his death was confirmed as to of taken place on the 6th of September 1916. He was buried in a communal cemetery ext at Combles by the Somme, France".

Montgomeryshire County Times report 24 September 1917 reads "Mr Jones, Smithy received notification that his son L/Cpl J Jones had died from wounds in Palestine. L/Cpl Jones was educated at Welshpool County School and on leaving became an assistant at Berriew Road School. Later he entered Aberystwyth College from where he enlisted."

Report of Montgomeryshire County Times 8 December 1917 "Two Guisfield Brothers - Cpl Jim Jones son of Mr and Mrs Jones, Blacksmithy, Guilsfield who died on the 6th of Nov 1917 was teaching in the National School Welshpool prior to joining the Royal Welch Fusiliers in November 1914. He went with his regiment to Gallipoli where he was wounded and returned to England. He went out to Egypt in Oct 1916 and was wounded in the Battle of Gazza on March 17th 1916. In a letter to his mother from his commanding officer it said he was a popular and useful NCO and one whose place he would find difficulty to fill.

Mrs Jones: "Narrow Escape - When Jim was wounded in August 1915 the bullet pierced a thick pocket book and a packet of letters in his chest pocket had it not being for that fact, the young soldier escaped sure death. This pocket book is in the possession of his nephew, also Jim Jones, who kindly showed to me along with other items relating to Cpl James Jones's war experiences. He was buried at Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel."

This image is a sample from a folder of research undertaken by Mrs Jones into the men named on the war memorial (1914-1919) of Guilsfield parish (near Welshpool, Montgomeryshire - now Powys, in Wales). The names include: Frank Arthur, Ernest Charlton, Edward Evans, Robert Evans, Fred Evans, Charles Galliers, Robert Gainsford, Edward Griffiths,John Higgins, Edwin Jones, James Jones, Charles Jones, William Jones, Alan Langlands, Edward Lloyd, John Lloyd, Richard Morgan, Edward Morris, John Owen, Evan Phillips, Herbert Trevor, David E. Bailey, Herbert Bailey, Arthur Gough, Charles Jones, George R. Jones, Arthur T. Lewis, Mathew W.H. Morris, Richard D.H. Mytton, Gruffydd V. Trevor. Representing a number of regiments of the army, also the Royal Navy and the Royal Flying Corps. Also evident is the volunteers who joined up early in the war, as well as the tribunals which decided that even though farming was a reserved occupation that man-power being so scarce some men would be compelled to join the army, leaving their families, their aging fathers, mothers, sisters and younger siblings to continue to provide food for the war effort - an insight into the home-front in rural Wales.