The Collection of Medals to Great War Casualties formed by Tim Parsons

Three: Corporal T. P. Jones, 24th Canadian Infantry, who was killed in action at St. Eloi on 15 April 1916

1914-15 Star (65512 Cpl., 24/Can. Inf.); British War and Victory Medals (65512 Cpl., 24-Can. Inf.), all in card boxes of issue, with related Memorial Plaque (Trevor Prys Jones), extremely fine (4) £300-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to Great War Casualties formed by Tim Parsons.

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Trevor Prys Jones was born in Wales in December 1883 and enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in December 1914. Posted to the 24th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, he was killed in action at St. Eloi on 15 April 1916.

In a letter addressed to his sister, dated 19 April 1916, the Battalion’s chaplain described the circumstances of her brother’s demise:

‘ ... Apparently he with his Sergeant and five men were in a dug-out in one of the trenches when a shell hit the dug-out and exploding killed both non-commissioned officers and several men. He can hardly have known what happened as death must have been instantaneous, and really, when one sees the sufferings of the wounded it is a great source of thankfulness to know that there was no suffering for him ...’

Earlier, on 8 December 1915, Jones had written home to his sister “Winnie” describing the effects of enemy shellfire on his nerves:

‘ ... The only sensation I feel when a shell bursts close by is a sudden tingling feeling in both wrists, something like a mild electric shock - different people have different sensations but mine seems peculiar to me - I imagine it is due to the nerve centres there ...’

He was interred in Voormezeel Enclosure No. 3, near Ypres.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, much of it of a poignant nature, comprising:

(i)
Picture postcards (3), all addressed to one of the recipient’s sisters, “Winnie” (actually Mrs. S. W. Miles of King’s Lynn, Norfolk), with brief messages from Jones prior to going overseas, the earliest dated 20 October 1914 and the last October 1915.

(ii)
Portrait postcards (2), depicting the recipient in uniform, presumably from photographs taken on the eve of his departure to France.

(iii)
Field service postcards (11), dating from 18 February 1915 to 27 February 1916, the whole addressed to his sister Mrs. S. W. Miles, with the ‘I am quite well’ statement, and generally acknowledging receipt of letters.

(iv)
Letters home (5), complete with original envelopes, all of them addressed to his sister, Mrs. S. W. Miles, dating from 27 March 1915 at Sandling Camp, Kent to his last letter home from France, dated 23 March 1916 (‘ ... A kiss to my small nephew and much love to you from your affec. brother ...’), the contents of the ‘On Active Service’ letters of particularly interest (‘ ... Apres la

guerre me thinks I shall go to the North Pole or maybe to the South Pole and there will I build me a little dug-out and if anyone should mention war to me, I will ...’ / ‘ ... Your cake came up to me whilst in the trenches and was eagerly devoured by five of us ... the rats and the mice looked on with longing eyes and had their share of the crumbs ...’); together with a letter to his aunt, Mrs. Lyne, dated 10 March 1916 ( ‘ ... At present writing our artillery are giving Fritz h--l and the shells are passing overhead accompanied by a peculiar sound which is indescribable ...’). A rare and poignant series of correspondence.

(v)
Several contemporary handwritten copies of letters of condolence received by another of Jones’ sisters, Miss E. M. Jones of Albert Road, Regent’s Park, London, among them messages from his Colonel, a Major, and the Padre of 24th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, and a Battalion friend, Peter Vernon Wilson (‘He was the finest boy I ever knew and he died as a soldier and a gentleman should, with his face towards the Germans, smiling and unafraid ...’).

Service papers state ‘not entitled to Memorial Cross’.