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William Jones (VC)
Encyclopedia
William Jones VC
(1839 – 15 April 1913) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross
for his action at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1897, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth
forces.
, Worcestershire
. He was approximately 39 years old, and a private
in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers
), British Army
during the Zulu War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift
, Natal, South Africa, Private 593 William Jones and Private 716 (Robert Jones
) defended one of the wards in the field hospital to the last, until six out of the seven patients had been removed. The seventh was delirious and although they managed to dress him, they could not induce him to move and when they returned to carry him away he was being stabbed to death in his bed.
Jones had a joint citation with Robert Jones VC that read:
for chronic rheumatism
, which he claimed to have contracted from the cold and wet nights after Rorke's Drift; before being discharged on 2 January 1880 and on the 13 January 1880, he received his award from Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle
. Upon leaving the Army, he attempted to establish himself in Birmingham however employment opportunities were few, but managed to take part in a number of acting parts including Hamilton's Pansterorama and in 1887 he eventually became a member of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
Later, he moved to Rutland Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock
, Manchester
and in 1910 pawned his Victoria Cross, having fallen upon hard times. He was admitted to work in the Workhouse
on Bridge Street, Manchester. William was one of the few survivors of the battle to live into his 70s. He died on 15 April 1913 and buried in a paupers grave in Philips Park. William's grave is located in Philip's Park Cemetery
Manchester section D-887 and a large blue commemoration plaque adorns the wall of the disused church, alongside another plaque to commemorate World War I
Victoria Cross winner, George Stringer VC
.
After four years of campaigning, on 2 November 2007 a ceremony was held at Philip’s Park Cemetery to celebrate the unveiling of a new headstone for the grave.
In the 1964 film Zulu
, he was portrayed by the actor Richard Davies
.
his VC when he fell on hard times in the 1890s although it is now displayed at the South Wales Borderers Museum
, Brecon
, Powys
, Wales.
Bearing the Cross was a Ken Blakeson play which looked into the lives of three soldiers who fought at Rorke’s Drift and aired on BBC Radio 4
. Nigel Anthony
plays William Jones VC, Sebastian Harcombe plays Robert Jones VC
and Jon Strickland is Henry Hook VC
. The play starts in 1887, at Buffalo Bill
’s Wild West Show in London, where the battle against the Zulus was restaged, with Private William Jones VC as presenter.
Location of grave can be found on Google Earth at:
53° 29' 20.45" N 2° 11' 59.20" W
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(1839 – 15 April 1913) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for his action at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1897, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Details
Jones was born and previously lived in EveshamEvesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. He was approximately 39 years old, and a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers
The South Wales Borderers
The South Wales Borderers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It first came into existence, as the 24th Regiment of Foot, in 1689, but was not called the South Wales Borderers until 1881. The regiment served in a great many conflicts, including the American Revolutionary War, various...
), British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Zulu War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift
Rorke's Drift
The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of...
, Natal, South Africa, Private 593 William Jones and Private 716 (Robert Jones
Robert Jones (VC)
Robert Jones VC was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1879, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.He was born at Penrhos near Clytha...
) defended one of the wards in the field hospital to the last, until six out of the seven patients had been removed. The seventh was delirious and although they managed to dress him, they could not induce him to move and when they returned to carry him away he was being stabbed to death in his bed.
Jones had a joint citation with Robert Jones VC that read:
Later life
Jones was being treated at Netley HospitalNetley Hospital
The Royal Victoria Hospital, or Netley Hospital was a large military hospital in Netley, near Southampton, Hampshire, England. Construction started in 1856 at the suggestion of Queen Victoria but its design caused some controversy, chiefly from Florence Nightingale. Often visited by Queen Victoria,...
for chronic rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
, which he claimed to have contracted from the cold and wet nights after Rorke's Drift; before being discharged on 2 January 1880 and on the 13 January 1880, he received his award from Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
. Upon leaving the Army, he attempted to establish himself in Birmingham however employment opportunities were few, but managed to take part in a number of acting parts including Hamilton's Pansterorama and in 1887 he eventually became a member of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
Chorlton-on-Medlock
Chorlton-on-Medlock is an inner city area of Manchester, England.Historically a part of Lancashire, the northern border of Chorlton-on-Medlock is the River Medlock which runs immediately south of Manchester city centre. Its other borders roughly correspond to Stockport Road, Hathersage Road, Moss...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and in 1910 pawned his Victoria Cross, having fallen upon hard times. He was admitted to work in the Workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
on Bridge Street, Manchester. William was one of the few survivors of the battle to live into his 70s. He died on 15 April 1913 and buried in a paupers grave in Philips Park. William's grave is located in Philip's Park Cemetery
Philips Park
Philips Park lies in the valley of the River Medlock, in the lower part of Clayton, a district of Manchester, England. The river runs through the park.Philips Park was opened in 1846, making it one of the world's first municipal parks...
Manchester section D-887 and a large blue commemoration plaque adorns the wall of the disused church, alongside another plaque to commemorate World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Victoria Cross winner, George Stringer VC
George Stringer
George Stringer VC from Newton Heath, Manchester was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:Upon leaving school, George working for a local cloth...
.
After four years of campaigning, on 2 November 2007 a ceremony was held at Philip’s Park Cemetery to celebrate the unveiling of a new headstone for the grave.
In the 1964 film Zulu
Zulu (film)
Zulu is a 1964 historical war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War....
, he was portrayed by the actor Richard Davies
Richard Davies (actor)
Richard Davies is a Welsh actor, from Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales whose film and TV work covers many years but is probably best known for his performance as the exasperated schoolmaster Mr Price in the LWT popular situation comedy Please Sir!.Davies uses a broad Welsh accent for much of his...
.
The medal
William had to unfortunately pawnPawn
Pawn may refer to:* Pawn , the weakest and most numerous piece in the game* Pawn, another name for a pledge in certain jurisdictions ** Pawnshop/pawnbroker* Pawn , an embeddable programming language...
his VC when he fell on hard times in the 1890s although it is now displayed at the South Wales Borderers Museum
South Wales Borderers Museum
The South Wales Borderers Museum is located at Brecon in Wales and is the regimental museum of the 24th Regiment of Foot. The museum's collection is made up of artefacts collected from a variety of sources from around the world and which display the regiment's 300 year history.-The collection:The...
, Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, Wales.
Bearing the Cross
Radio 4, 2.15pmBearing the Cross was a Ken Blakeson play which looked into the lives of three soldiers who fought at Rorke’s Drift and aired on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. Nigel Anthony
Nigel Anthony
Nigel Anthony, is a British theatre and television actor, who has also worked notably in radio with many broadcasts to his credit He is married to the actress Kate Binchy and is also an accomplished drummer with a wide knowledge of jazz.His theatre work includes The Taming of the Shrew, Happy...
plays William Jones VC, Sebastian Harcombe plays Robert Jones VC
Robert Jones (VC)
Robert Jones VC was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1879, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.He was born at Penrhos near Clytha...
and Jon Strickland is Henry Hook VC
Alfred Henry Hook
Alfred Henry "Harry" Hook VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Background:Born in Churcham,...
. The play starts in 1887, at Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
’s Wild West Show in London, where the battle against the Zulus was restaged, with Private William Jones VC as presenter.
External links
- Pte. William Jones (biography, photos, memorial details)
- Location of grave and VC medal (Manchester)
Location of grave can be found on Google Earth at:
53° 29' 20.45" N 2° 11' 59.20" W