Auction Catalogue

1 & 2 March 2017

Starting at 11:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Live Online Auction

Download Images

Lot

№ 312

.

1 March 2017

Hammer Price:
£1,600

Four: Private J. W. Jones, Gloucestershire Regiment, late Norfolk Regiment, who was taken prisoner of war at St. Valery on 13 June 1940 and spent the rest of the Second World War captive; recalled to the Colours for the Korean War, he was again captured at the Battle of Imjin, 25 April 1951, where he was reported as wounded in the left arm, being finally released in August 1953, after over seven years as a Prisoner of two Wars.

1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45; Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (5773465 Pte. J. W. Jones. Glosters); U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed as issued, nearly extremely fine (4) £1000-1400

John William Jones was born on 22 August 1919 and attested for the Norfolk Regiment on 20 June 1939. He served with 7th Battalion during the Second World War as part of the British Expeditionary Force, and was taken Prisoner of War at St. Valery on 13 June 1940. Held at Stalag 20A at Thorn, Poland, from July to August 1940, and then in work camps at Groudenze and Ribenz until January 1945, he was liberated and repatriated at the end of the War. Transferring to the Reserve in 1946, working for the Edinburgh City Corporation, he was recalled to the Colours for service in Korea, and served with the Gloucestershire Regiment.

Present at the Battle of Imjin, April 1951, he was in Captain Harvey’s party during the break out on 25 April, but was one of those men unlucky enough not to get through, as recorded by testimony provided by Private D. Fox of ‘D’ Company. As the party was crossing the river just north of Taechon, Fox had stopped to help some of the smaller men to get across the river, which was quite deep in parts. As a result he fell behind and was eventually picked up by a party of seven North Korean soldiers. After an escape and a second recapture Fox finally regained his freedom when he was unexpectedly released arriving at Allied lines on 12 May 1951. In his statement dated 14 May 1951 he reported: ‘On 25 April 1951 about 15:00 hours I last saw Pte Jones (D Coy) he told me that he had been wounded in the left arm, I am certain that he was captured.’ [Captain Harvey’s group was safe by 12:30, so clearly by 15:00 Private Jones was a straggler with little hope of reaching safety]. Released on 14 August 1953, he arrived back in Southampton on 16 September 1953 and was subsequently discharged, having spent over seven years as a Prisoner of War.

Sold together with the recipient’s Dunkirk Commemorative Medal and copied research, including the recipient’s M.I.9 Prisoner of War Questionnaire.