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Auction: 25112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 195

(x) 1914 Star (7282 Pte W. Jones. R. Innis. Fus.), very fine

Walton Jones was born in Dublin on 16 November 1883 but later moved further north with his family to Omagh, County Tyrone. Jones worked as a Labourer before he enlisted into the army aged 18 years old on 15 July 1902 and joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. In 1903 Jones served six months in South Africa, before spending the following five years in Egypt, finishing there in January 1908. He then spent 19 months away in Malta before finally returning home, serving between September 1908 and July 1910. Jones was then re-engaged and served on the Western Front from 23 August 1914. The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers landed in Le Havre as part of the 12th Brigade in the 4th Division. The 4th Division made up the left flank at the Battle of Le Cateau and consisted of circa 1000 men. Under the command of General Horace Smith-Dorrien, they were ordered to repel the German First Army after the disastrous Battle of Mons just a few days prior. They fought via extensive rifle fire on the north bank of the Warnelle. The outcome was bloody and costly - a time before trench warfare, the battle consisted of close-range artillery and infantry engagements. A total of 36 men from the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers died as a result, with many more wounded and several taken prisoner. Jones was one of those taken a Prisoner of War.

Jones was captured on 26 August 1914 and taken to the Quedlinburg Prisoner of War camp in Saxony, where he served the rest of his war. Intriguingly, Jones has two dates where he was captured and taken to Quedlinburg, the first in August 1914, and the second on the 4 September 1917 at Morseburg (some distance from Quedinburg). It appears that he escaped the camp, before being recaptured, as unfortunately was common. The conditions at Quedlinburg were poor - most were subjected to physical labour in the local salt mines and brick kilns. Food supplied by the Germans was limited - Red Cross and familial donations helped the men to survive. There were some entertainments created by the men to keep morale up and boredom at a minimum. This included the formation of an orchestra in July 1915, a choir, a theatre, boxing matches and a camp newspaper, written in French, called Le Tuyau. While such frivolities were key to maintaining morale, the realities were stark: a representative of the Danish Red Cross, Captain T. C. Zeilau, visited the camp in December 1918 (a few months after Jones' leaving) and observed no Red Cross parcels, men in filthy clothes, men sharing bunks and men sleeping on the floor. When he interviewed two British R.A.M.C. doctors, they told him that 140 men had arrived at the camp on the 5 October and within 3 weeks, 51 of them had died from starvation.

Jones left the camp on 23 August 1918, three months before the end of the war. He was deemed no longer physically fit for war service (381 xvi King's Regulation S.B.) by the British Army and thus ended Jones' military career at 34 years old. For his service he was further entitled to a British War and Victory medal and Silver War badge (440263).

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£110

Starting price
£30