William Douglas Jones

Private William Douglas Jones of the 9th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment died on 26 September 1915 during the Battle of Loos, only 25 or so days after arriving in France.

According to his obituary in The Surrey Comet dated 5 May 1917, Private Jones, who was 28, had been born in Hook in about 1887. He lived in 31, Schoolhouse Lane, then in the postal area of Hampton Wick, with his wife, Agnes Dorothy Jones, and their four children. According to his entry on the Online WW1 War Memorial for Teddington, he had married his wife in 1908 and in 1911 he was working as a carman for building contractors, Pearces Cottages, in Ditton Hill, Surbiton.

Before enlisting on 7 May 1915 he had been employed for some years at the Hampton Court Gas Works. He was sent to France at the very end of August 1915 and within 25 days of arriving was killed in his very first engagement. The exact date of his death is disputed. His obituary gives his date of death as 25 September 1915 whereas his Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry gives his date of death as the next day, 26 September 1915. He was initially declared missing in action with his death only being presumed in May 1917.

He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Loos Memorial. He is also commemorated both on the war memorial at St Mark’s Church and at Teddington War Memorial and he has an entry on the Online WW1 War Memorial for Teddington. One of his friends reported to his family that after Private Jones was initially wounded he was carried back to a first aid tent by two friends but unfortunately all three were subsequently killed when the tent was shelled.