They say that war doesn’t have a woman’s face. After all, the entire impact is borne by military men. Thanks to their courage, skills and endurance, it is possible to defeat the enemy and win the war. In this article, we will tell you about David Jones, a soldier of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment who fought in the First World War. He was awarded the VC for his actions in September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. Learn more about the soldier’s combat achievements at liverpoolyes.com.
Start of military activity
David Jones was born in Liverpool in 1892. He grew up in a large family and was the youngest among his brothers and sisters. He got an education at Heyworth Street School in Everton. After that, David became an apprentice at Blake’s Motor Company. In 1901, the man decided to become a volunteer and served in the 9th King’s (Liverpool) Regiment for four years.
The First World War: the first successes in battle
When the First World War started, David immediately signed up for the British army. He was posted to the 12th Battalion of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment. In 1915, the young soldier was sent to the Western Front in France. However, David got married before leaving.
In September-October 1915, Jones took part in the Battle of Loos, and the following year, he began his service at the Ypres Salient in Belgium.
In September 1916, he received the task of capturing the village of Guillemont. There were many garrisons of German troops. During the mission, Jones’s commander was killed and he, as a sergeant, took command of the platoon. Together with his comrades, he resisted the attempts of the Germans to capture their position. They held the position for two days and two nights without food or water. He also saved three counterattacks. For his actions, he was awarded the highest award for valour (the VC) that could be given to a soldier of the British Empire.
Death of the hero
Subsequently, the 20th Division was involved in the next phase of the fighting on the Somme, the Battle of Le Transloy. That battle became the last one for David Jones. He died in battle on October 7, 1916, and was buried at the Bancourt British Cemetery.
In 1917, King George V presented the widow with David’s VC at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace. She gave it to Blake’s Motor Company, where David used to work. In 2009, it was donated to the Museum of Liverpool.
The First World War and the role of Great Britain
Great Britain became a key country in the First World War. At the beginning of August 1914, the newly-formed British Expeditionary Force landed in the French ports of Rouen, Boulogne and Le Havre and concentrated around Le Cateau and Maubeuge.
War always brings ruin, tears and death. The First World War was no exception because millions of people died and cities were destroyed. However, from a military point of view, Britain and its allies won.
The British paid with their lives for such a victory. More than 900,000 of them died during the war. Military operations also affected the country’s economy. The coal mining, metallurgical and shipbuilding industries reduced their production. On the other hand, automobile manufacturing, aircraft manufacturing, mechanical engineering and chemical production, on the contrary, began to develop actively. Great Britain also lost its sales markets and, accordingly, the export of domestic goods decreased.
In this article, we told you the story of a soldier of the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment David Jones and the role of Great Britain in the First World War. We hope that it was informative and you made the appropriate conclusions.