Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

France & Flanders covers all the dates and corresponding locations which are outside the official battle nomenclature dates on the Western Front. Therefore the actions in which these men died could be considered 'normal' trench duty - the daily attrition losses which were an everyday fact of duty on the Western Front.

Detail :

He is commemorated by a large brass plaque at Chapel at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, which was re-dedicated at a service held Monday, 10 November 2014 10:45am. Dr Thomas William Jones was Wrexham’s former Medical Officer of Health. The submissions of Geoff Cuthill, Province of Lancashire provides:

"Dr Jones was also Superintendent of the former Fever Hospital and at the outbreak of the War worked in the Croesnewydd Infirmary, part of which was taken over to serve as the Croesnewydd Military Hospital. These hospitals occupied part of the site of what is now Wrexham Maelor Hospital and the plaque had been installed in the Recreation Hall building, which for many years served as the Hospital Chapel. However as the Maelor Hospital developed, and with the construction of the new Chapel which opened in 1994, the Recreation Hall was put to different uses and now acts as the main receiving and storage point for supplies coming into the Hospital.

With 2014 marking the centenary of the start of the Great War, members of the Hospital’s Portering Team suggested that the plaque should be retrieved and placed on more prominent display, and it is being moved to the Hospital Chapel this weekend. This led Porters Mervyn Nott, Ralph Hewitt and Andy Williams to start research into Dr Jones and the circumstances of his death.

Originally from Rhosllanerchrugog, ‘Tom’ Jones was educated at Ruabon Grammar School and studied Medicine at the University of Liverpool, graduating in 1908. His medical career began with surgical and obstetric jobs in a number of the city’s hospitals. He then took a role as resident Medical Officer in one of Liverpool’s fever hospitals and spent six months on a study into public health administration. He returned to North Wales in December 1912 when he was appointed as the Medical Officer of Health for the Rural District of Wrexham. In that position he produced reports on an epidemic of Typhoid fever in Rhosymedre in 1913, and on housing conditions in Broughton, published in 1915.

He was a member of the Square and Compass Lodge of Freemasons, Wrexham and a keen Welsh Nationalist. In April 1913 he married Deborah (known as Debbie) Evans from Penycae and they had a daughter, Iola. At the time of his death the family lived in Foster Road in Wrexham.

He offered himself for service but initially the Local Government Board refused to sanction this as at the outbreak of the War his medical work locally was considered indispensable. However a national change of policy in July 1916 opened the way for his release and he obtained a commission as a Lieutenant with the Royal Army Medical Corps, attached to the 27th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. In November 1916 he was sent over to France.

Dr Jones died during the Battle of in Arras in northern France on 11 March 1917, aged 31. Along with a chaplain and another soldier he had left the shelter of a house to go the assistance of a soldier in the street who had been wounded by a shell. Tragically all three were killed when another shell landed in the street."

The plaque reads: "To the memory of Capt. T.W. Jones M.D Ch.B. D.P.H. Hon Surgeon to Croesnewydd Auxiliary Military Hospital Oct.1914 to Nov 1916 Killed in Action on March 11th 1917 - This tablet is erected by his colleagues - Enoch Moss E.D. Evans S. Edwards Jones George Harrison"

Probate JONES Thomas William of Foster-road Wrexham Denbighshire medical officer of health a lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corpos attached to the 27th battalion Northumberland Fusiliers died 11 March 1917 at Arras France Probate St. Asaph 11 August to Deborah Jones widow. Effects £1285 13s. 2d.

Bro. Doctor Jones is buried in the Faubourg D’amiens Cemetery in Arras.

Masonic :

He was an initiate of Temple Lodge No. 1094, becoming a member in 1912 when resident in Liverpool and employed as a 26 year old Physician. He resigned 8th April, 1914. The reason seems to be that he had moved his job to Wrexham as he joined Square & Compass Lodge No. 1336 in October 1914, listed as a 29 year old surgeon, resident at Wrexham. His war service is recorded against this lodge and is ended by the final comment of "Killed in action Mar 17."

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley
• Researcher : Geoff Cuthill