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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 134

Five: Petty Officer W. P. Jones, Royal Naval Reserve and Mercantile Marine

1914-15 Star (D.1679, E. P. Jones, L.S., R.N.R.); British War Medal 1914-20 (1679D. W .P. Jones. P.O. R.N.R.); Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (William P. Jones); Victory Medal 1914-19 (1679D. W .P. Jones. P.O. R.N.R.); Royal Naval Reserve L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (D.1679 W. P. Jones. Sean. R.N.R.) minor contact marks and pitting, very fine (5)

William Paynter Jones was born at Llanfaelog, Anglesey, on 8 March 1874 the son of William and Margaret Jones. It is not clear what happened to young Jones' parents but he is listed upon the 1881 census living with his uncle and aunt - William and Kitty Paynter - at 22 Market Street, Caernarvon, Caernarvonshire. Jones enlisted with the Royal Naval Reserve on 20 August 1896 with his address listed as 5 Anglesey Road, Southampton. As a long-served Naval man he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. at Southampton on 30 July 1912. He is noted as serving as Bosun aboard the Oceanic at the outbreak of war; as this vessel was classified as an 'armed merchant cruiser' Jones was not called up immediately but rather continued to serve in that role.

He was later to see service with the monitor Roberts - named Lord Roberts on Jones' service records - from 19 August 1915 and was with her in the Dardanelles until February 1916. Posted to H.T. China as Leading Seaman on 18 June 1916 he was not with her long before being further posted to H.M.S. Glenbernie as Petty Officer on 23 October.

Somewhat unusually Jones was soon posted out of Naval service, being sent to the salvage vessel Ranger to serve as Bosun. His record confirms that 'on the event of leaving Salvage Service during the war to be remobilised' - however as long as he was with Ranger he was no longer with the Royal Naval Reserve, entitling him to the Mercantile Marine Medal. He was finally discharged on 24 August 1918; sold together with copied research comprising service records, Mercantile Marine Medal Index Cards and medal rolls as well as census papers and an extract from Ten years of Maritime Memories.

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Sold for
£170

Starting price
£130