Todger: Thomas Jones VC, DCM, 1st Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment

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She said: "Volunteers have worked for over five years to keep the Butterfly House open to the public, over that time it was clear the glasshouses were in bad condition and the only way to continue was to rebuild. Last night, reading the history of the Cheshire Regiment, I came across reference to "Todger" Jones and enjoyed reading his CV citation. It states:- Robert James Thomas Digby-Jones (27 September 1876 – 6 January 1900) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, [1] the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Mike Hill is an award-winning journalist who has worked in the newspaper industry for more than 25 years holding senior news and features desk roles at some of UK’s most respected regional titles. He was born in Liverpool and lives on Merseyside with his wife and two sons. Christmas Truce by the Men Who Took Part: Letters from the 1914 Ceasefire on the Western Front is his fourth book.

On 25 September 1916 during the Battle of Morval Private Jones was with his company covering the advance in front of a village, when he noticed an enemy sniper 200 yards (200 m) away. He went out and, although one bullet went through his helmet and another through his coat, he returned the sniper's fire and killed him. He then saw two more Germans firing on him although they were displaying a white flag. Both these he shot. On reaching the enemy trench he found several occupied dug-outs and single-handed disarmed 102 of the enemy, including three or four officers, and took them prisoner." Both Robert and William Jones were gazetted for the Victoria Cross on 2nd May 1879, and he was presented with his medal on 11th September that year by General Sir Garnet Wolseley at Utrecht, KwaZulu Natal. Shortly after this, Jones was posted to India with the 2nd Battalion. custom_html]The Christmas Truce of 1914 remains a moment of enduring fascination more than a century after the day the First World War guns fell silent.We now need to assess whether Charles Frodsham moved to Manchester with his family, stayed in Birmingham , or died. A search of the GRO death indexes from 1st quarter 1878 up until 4th quarter 1920 reveal 2 possible candidates for the death of an individual named 'Charles Frodsham'. He had captured them single-handed. ‘Todger’ arrived in France with the Cheshire Regiment in January 1915. As a marksman, scout and skilled bomber, ‘Todger’ had many extraordinary encounters and in addition to his VC, also earned the DCM for a further act of remarkable gallantry.

Jones is buried in Runcorn Cemetery and his Victoria Cross is displayed at the Cheshire Military Museum in Chester. [3] [4] See also [ ] BBC reported 32 VC recipients who also won DCM. However, they previously put this figure at 19. Both were quotes from the auctioneer. Does anyone know of a resource that easily identifies the dual winners? He was 35 years old when on 25 September 1916, during the Battle of Morval, Jones performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was with his company covering the advance in front of a village, when he noticed an enemy sniper 200 yards (183m) away. He left his trench on his own, and crossed no man's land without covering fire. Although one bullet went through his helmet and another through his coat, he returned the sniper's fire and killed him. Near the enemy trench, he saw two more Germans firing on him while simultaneously displaying a white flag. Jones shot them both. Upon reaching the enemy trench, he found several occupied dug-outs and single-handedly disarmed 102Germans. Three or four were officers, and the entire trench was taken by Jones and his comrades. [2] [3] Jones is buried in Runcorn Cemetery and his Victoria Cross medal group is displayed at the Cheshire Military Museum in Chester. [4] [5] Statue [ edit ] Dignitaries in front of the statue following its unveiling He was also in the Territorials and won various awards for his Marksmanship. (including the Territorial Efficiency Medal)I was a bit intrigued about how a single man could round up over 100 prisoners so did a bit of "googling" and found the following personal account from the man himself, taken from “The Poona Star” of 24 August 1929. It certainly made me smile......... The place of sanctuary for the Frodsham family and William Jones VC, may have been the house of Elizabeth Frodsham's, now married daughter, Emily Goodwin, who was born 4th November 1868.Emily, despite that her birth certificate states that it was Charles Frodsham who was her natural father, would later be quoted as 'the daughter of 593 Pte William Jones VC' and it is ironic that this possible first port of call in Manchester, the Goodwin household, was the household that William Jones VC would die in. The move to Manchester may have been the start of a new life for the Frodsham's and William Jones, that would develop into a family-style relationship that would later include the marriage of Elizabeth Frodsham and William Jones .As William was a Wesleyan Methodist, a reasonably strict religion, and that he was a 'steady-plodding fellow' as stated on his service records, he may have grown close to Elizabeth and her family as a result of his lodger status in the household. The family and Jones may have been through a good deal of turmoil together and these trails would have created a natural bond between these individuals that would have formed the foundations for a later relationship. It would be of interest to ascertain just why Charles and Elizabeth gave their son Albert Frodsham the middle name of 'Ulundi'. Neither 593 Pte William Jones nor Charles Frodsham was present at this battle. One possible reason is that the normal Jones saturnine sense of humour, was underwritten in William Jones VC by a dramatic element that would later see our steady-plodder appear on stage in Buffalo Bill's Wild-West Show, and perhaps Jones was able to narrate the tales of his actions in South Africa with such precision that he impressed the Frodshams enough so that they gave their last-born son this unique middle-name. Another simile is that the writers of this article have found one Edward ' Durban ' Jones on the GRO birth indexes in their searches, this child being born to Edward and Phoebe Margaret Jones (formerly Jones) on 18th November 1899, registered in Denbigh, North Wales . Could the reason that this child had been given the middle name ' Durban ' also suggest a link with South Africa , and that there was a minor trend at work throughout the Anglo-Zulu War period, where children born around this time were given middle names of battles and places associated with these campaigns? And all with one consent actually cried out that they wanted to become prisoners and with Private Jones as their jailer, too!

The Christmas Truce of 1914 remains a moment of enduring fascination more than a century after the day the First World War guns fell silent. Now for the first time, hundreds of first-person accounts of this most extraordinary period of history have been gathered together telling the story in their own words of the soldiers who met in peace in No Man’s Land. It’s not that I want to brag, but I didn’t turn a hair; I just kept my head-piece going. I told them it would be a very cold night at the place where they were going to, and suggested they had better get their great-coats. I graciously permitted them to fetch them “two at a time, and no rushing.” They ran and came in and out, and each time they passed me they saluted me, Private Jones! - and I sent them to their places. I didn’t like the look of one “bloke” and kept half an eye on him. “I think I’ll shoot that chap,” I said to the interpreter. Over 20 VC graves cleaned and 50+ inspected since April this year by our ever expanding team of veteran volunteers. The Victoria Cross Trust is a proud partner in the Positive Pathways Programme funded through the Armed Forces Covenant. By supporting veterans and developing a sense of well being and satisfaction in delivering our charitable aims, the VCT has reported to the AFCF the successful achievement of its goals in October 2021. Cleaning VC graves, developing events and increasing our network of volunteers have seen some remarkable results since our Maintaining the Memories project commenced in April 2021. Graves Cleaned & Inspected Now that we have arrived at the year 1901,we must try and take a look at the whereabouts of the now 25-year-old William Jones, 593 jnr, after his departure from the Goddard household. Our man, on this occasion cannot be located anywhere via the 1901 census for England and Wales , so lets try and find out what may have happened to him. After he departed Farnham, 593 jnr may have gone to stay with relatives in Wales , or England . He could have alternatively, joined The Army and fought in the Boer War or WWI.There may have been attempts on 593 jnr's part to reconcile with his father in Manchester , around the time of the late 1800's - early 1900's.It is known that there were other members of the extended Jones family, other than William Jones VC, already resident in Manchester around this time.Thomas Alfred Jones, VC, DCM (25 December 1880 – 30 January 1956), also known as ' Todger' Jones, was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. There is a statue of Jones at Runcorn War Memorial. This omission is a telling point. It is doubtful that 'any' reporter would have been unaware of this fact, the plight of a motherless child. These circumstances also scotch completely, alledged reports that a child born in South Africa was 'sent to relatives in Wales after his birth in South Africa '. Firstly, a child under a certain age would have been too young to travel, and also raises the question of who cared for the child when 593 rejoined his regiment, which was immediately after he had buried the remains of his wife. Then again, who indeed, made the travel arrangements for the child to return to Wales ? Travel records from around this period are non-existent so there are no means of validation available to confirm the child's return to the UK . The First World War, also known as the Great War and in the United States as World War I, was a global military conflict that embroiled most of the world's great powers, [5] assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance. [6] More than 70 million military personnel were mobilized in one of the largest wars in history. [7] The main combatants descended into a state of total war, directing their entire scientific and industrial capabilities into the war effort. Over 15 million people were killed, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in history. [8] The proximate cause of war was the assassination on 28 June 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Soon after, a system of alliances were activated that would see Europe at war. The Western Front saw the largest concentration of Commonwealth troops with soldiers occupying sectors of the line from the North Sea to the Orne River.

smallDescription] The Christmas Truce of 1914 remains a moment of enduring fascination more than a century after the day the First World War guns fell silent. Although we don't know the location of Elizabeth Jones's burial place, we will now deal with the topic of the alleged reports that a son was born to 593 Pte William Jones and his wife Elizabeth Jones, nee Goddard. William Jones, who we shall now refer to as 593 junior, was born to 593 Pte William Jones and his wife Elizabeth on the 18th November 1876,at Western Heights , Hougham, Dover , County of Kent . The details of the birth are as follows: Name of father- William Jones; Name and maiden name of mother-Elizabeth Jones, formerly Goddard; Occupation of father-Private 24th Regiment; Signature, description and residence of informant-Wm (as written) Jones, father, Western Heights , Hougham; when registered-9th December 1876.The name of the registrar is unreadable.A brass plaque to Digby-Jones lies on the south aisle of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh. The plaque states that it was erected by his parents and brothers. The stories of men from English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh regiments who played and joked, sang and danced, swapped gifts and shared food and drink with the enemy before returning to war on the Western Front. You must get on with your digging, Jones” said he, but up I jumped and called out “If I’ve got to be killed, I’ll die fighting, not digging.” therefore, of the cause of death of Elizabeth Jones, nee Goddard, completely unrelated to childbirth is an indication that 'no' child was born to 593 Pte William Jones and his wife, Elizabeth, at 'any time whatsoever', during their stay in South Africa . On 25 September 1916, during the Battle of Morval, Jones performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was with his company covering the advance in front of a village, when he noticed an enemy sniper 200 yards (183 m) away. He left his trench on his own, and crossed no man's land without covering fire. Although one bullet went through his helmet and another through his coat, he returned the sniper's fire and killed him. Near the enemy trench, he saw two more Germans firing on him while simultaneously displaying a white flag. Jones shot them both. Upon reaching the enemy trench, he found several occupied dug-outs and single-handedly disarmed 102 Germans. Three or four were officers, and the entire trench was taken by Jones and his comrades. [1] [2]