Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A superb but poignant family group to a series of Grand National jockeys:

A rare Second World War Coastal Command pilot’s D.F.C. group of four awarded to Pilot Officer W. H. A. Jones, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who fought in several engagements with U-Boats prior to being posted missing in November 1944: he had been unseated from “National Night” in the 1940 Grand National

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1943, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf, the campaign awards in their original card forwarding box, addressed to the recipient’s father, with accompanying named condolence slip and original M.I.D. certificate to ‘Warrant Officer W. H. A. Jones, R.A.F.V.R., and dated 1 January 1943, extremely fine

Three: Flight Sergeant M. A. Jones, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, a Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (P.R.U.) pilot who was posted missing in April 1942: he had ridden “Bogstar” to victory in the 1940 Grand National

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, in original card forwarding box, addressed to the recipient’s father, with named condolence slip, extremely fine

Pair: Lieutenant J. R. Anthony, Wiltshire Yeomanry: the uncle of the Jones brothers, he became a famous trainer after having ridden - uniquely - three Grand National winners

British War and Victory Medals (2 Lieut.), in original named card boxes of issue, extremely fine (9)

D.F.C. London Gazette 20 August 1943. The original recommendation states:

‘Pilot Officer Jones has maintained a very high standard in his work throughout his operational career. He made four attacks on U-Boats, inflicting damage on three occasions. He has also made a very determined attack on a blockade runner. Recently he was captain of an aircraft which successfully fought off attacks by seven Ju. 88s over a period of 45 minutes. The safe return of the aircraft was largely due to this officer’s fine tactics and superb airmanship.’

Mention in despatches London Gazette 1 January 1943.

William Hywell Anthony Jones enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1939 and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the course of 1942. As evidenced by his D.F.C. recommendation, he was frequently in action in his role as a Coastal Command pilot with No. 58 Squadron, one such incident being described in U-Boat versus Aircraft, by Norman Franks and Eric Zimmerman:

‘Wing Commander W. E. Oulton commanded No. 58 squadron, but was not content to lead from the ground. He often took a crew out on anti-sub patrols and had some measure of success in mid-1943. He had attacked a submarine on 5 May, had a gun-duel with another on the 7th, sank U-266 on the 15th, then shared in the sinking of U-563 on the 31st.

The action of 7 May was against U-214, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Gunter Reeder, after he had already encountered one boat earlier. Wilf Oulton headed out on a Derange sortie at 0435 hours and at 0655 his second pilot, Pilot Officer [W. H. A.] Jones, sighted a U-boat on the starboard bow and dropping down to 300 feet, they attacked with six D/Cs in their Halifax HR745 ‘S’. The D/Cs went down 10-15 seconds after the boat had crash-dived and nothing else was seen. This had been U-306.

At 1015, flying just above broken cloud, at 4,000 feet or so, the watchful Jones saw another boat. Using cloud cover Oulton headed for it and when they broke into a clear patch at 3,000 feet, the boat was four miles ahead. As the Halifax came in the boat opened fire - this one was not crash-diving.

The gunners’ aim was good. Hits were scored on the leading edge of the starboard wing between the engines, damaging the super-charger control, constant speed control unit, wing tank and with some slight damage to the outer starboard engine’s cowling. The navigator began to return fire with the VGO gun as Oulton continued the approach although the starboard outer was beginning to sound distinctly rough. Their remaining three D/Cs went down at 1019, and the boat finally dived, leaving what appeared to be a body on the surface. One of the boat’s crew was thought to have been hit by the navigator’s fire and as they roared over the conning tower, had seen one man leaning backwards with his mouth wide open.

From the boat’s KTB we know that the attack occurred in German Grid BF44 at 1014 hours. The submarine’s captain, Kapitanleutnant Gunter Reeder, was seriously wounded in the attack. Time and position leave no doubt that U-214 was the target ...’

By the time he was posted missing during his second tour of operations on 14 November 1944, Jones was operating out of Pembrokeshire on Anti-U-Boat patrols in Halifaxes of No. 517 Squadron. The 29 year old son of Herbert and Anne Elisabeth Jones of Carmarthen, his name is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Mervyn Anthony Jones joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve at the same time as his brother in 1939. Also a pilot, with No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, he was posted missing after a North Sea sortie on 3 April 1942. He, too, has no known grave, and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

John Randolph Anthony, the son of a Wiltshire farmer, served as Riding Master of the Wiltshire Yeomanry in the Great War. Returning home to Wroughton, near Swindon after the War, he was a stable jockey, with his brother Ivor, at Marston House, eventually training on his own account at Letcombe Regis in Berkshire. He rode five times in the Grand National, winning on three occasions, a unique achievement. His first victory was on “Glenside” in 1911, his mount being the only horse out of 33 starters to complete the course, and his last on “Ally Sloper” in 1915, this being the first occasion that a horse owned by a woman won the race.