JONES, Albert

Albert Jones was born in Kingswinford but moved to Stourbridge where he attended Hill St. Council School. He lived at 12 Angel Street, Stourbridge, and volunteered in 1914. He joined the 10th (Service) Battalion of the Worcesters and crossed to France in 1915. The battalion saw front line action on the Somme in 1916 at La Boisselle and during Third Ypres in 1917 at Passchendaele. Early in 1918 the battalion, as part of the 19th Division, moved to the front line near St. Quentin. They were in the second defensive line when the great German Spring Offensive started on the 21st March. The first line Divisions were outnumbered and gave way, leaving the Worcesters to attempt a counter-attack on the Louverval ridge. They were forced into a long retreat over the old Somme battlefield, but in spite of German superiority in numbers the withdrawal was managed in an orderly fashion. Nevertheless, the casualties were high and on the 22nd March Lance Corporal Albert Jones was killed in action near Doignies. He is buried at Sains-le-Marquion Cemetery (II C 6) and commemorated on the Stourbridge, St. John's and St. Thomas's churches and Greenfields school Memorials.