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Sergeant Evan Jones (Royal Welch Fusiliers)
Sergeant Evan Jones of the Royal Welch Fusiliers poses in front of a British Ordnance QF 4.5in. light howitzer. The photograph is said to have been taken in 1918 and at that time, he was 59 years old. In 1914, the average age of a British soldier was in the early 30s but by 1918, this average dropped significantly. As such, Sergeant Jones had many years on his peers. While his age wasn't completely unusual as by 1918, men up to 51 could be conscripted into service, his history as a soldier certainly was.
Born Patrick Cosgrove in 1859, he was raised in Bedwellty, a parish in Monmouthshire, South Wales. At the age of 18, he enlisted in the British Army on July 20, 1877 under the alias Evan Jones. Jones was assigned to B Company, 2nd. Battalion, 24th. Regiment of Foot (2nd. Warwickshire) with the rank of Private. Within two years, both the 1st. and 2nd. Battalion from the 24th. Regiment of Foot were sent to South Africa in 1879 to take part in the invasion of the Kingdom of Zulu which was ruled by Cetshwayo kaMpande. The history behind the invasion is long but in summary, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, the High Commissioner for Southern Africa, issued an ultimatum to King kaMpande that Frere knew from the outset would not be agreed to and thus gave him the pretext to launch the invasion against the Zulu. The Kingdom of Zulu had approximately 35,000 fighting men. The majority of these men were armed with iklwa (thrusting spears), clubs, and cowhide shields. King kaMpande had sought to modernize his army but only a small portion were armed with firearms, namely antiquated muskets and some rifles. Many Zulu warriors saw the usage of firearms as being without honor and cowardly as one could kill without being in hand-to-hand combat. The first significant battle of the Anglo-Zulu War was the Battle of Isandlwana which took place on January 22, 1879 and it was a crushing defeat of the British invasion force which included one company from Jones' battalion. Despite being equipped with modern weapons, the 1,837 troops which made up two of the five invasion prongs simply could not cope with the massed Zulu warriors which numbered between 10,000 to 15,000. In the end, over 1,300 British troops were killed and the remainder were routed, retreating back towards a British post that had been set up at kwaJimu, famously known as Rorke's Drift.
Situated near a drift on the Mzinyathi River at the border of the British colony of Natal and the Kingdom of Zulu, Rorke's Drift was a former trading post that was utilized by the British invasion force as a supply depot and field hospital. The main defense of Rorke's Drift was provided by A Company and B Company of 2nd. Battalion, 24th. Regiment of Foot. On January 22, 1879, between 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors, against orders, launched an attack against the British at Rorke's Drift. The British stationed at the post were already aware of the defeat at Isandlwana and many of those retreating forces did not stay at Rorke's Drift. Since the hospital was in use, evacuating the post into open terrain meant being overtaken by the swifter Zulu attackers and so it was decided to stay and defend. At 4:20pm, 100 auxiliaries of the Natal Native Horse briefly engaged the Zulu vanguard before up and abandoning the fight, leaving only 140 British soldiers, Jones included, left to battle the Zulu. From the first contact by the Natal Native Horse until 7:00am on January 23, the British held out against the Zulu, killing 351 Zulu warriors and wounding another 500 for the loss of 17 killed and 15 wounded. The British started the battle with 20,000 rounds of ammunition and when it was over, only 900 rounds remained. A total of eleven Victoria Crosses for valor were awarded to soldiers involved in the fighting of which seven of them when to soldiers of the 2nd. Battalion. The Anglo-Zulu War would continue until July 4, 1879, ending in a British victory and the annexation of the Kingdom of Zulu.
Jones would see further action with the 2nd. Battalion in Burma during the Third Anglo-Burmese War which ran from November 7 through November 29, 1885. This conflict, the last of the battles between the Burmese and the British, ended in a Burmese defeat. This defeat saw Burma lose its sovereignty and become a province of India under the rule of the British Raj.
It is unknown when Jones transferred into the Royal Welch Fusiliers though it is believed he did so prior to World War One. How much action he saw is also not known but the Royal Welch Fusiliers saw significant combat throughout World War One in multiple theaters, earning no less than 77 battle honors. On his chest, Jones is wearing three medals that signified his pre-war combat service. The medal nearest the button line is the South Africa Medal, instituted on August 1, 1880. Better known as the Zulu War Medal, Jones has a clasp on the ribbon and although it is impossible to see what the date is on it, it all likelihood, the date would be 1879 to reflect his participation in the Anglo-Zulu War. The second medal hints that he likely transferred into the 1st. Battalion, 24th. Regiment of Foot which was deployed to British India in 1892. The award appears to be the India Medal which was instituted in 1896 to recognize British and Indian forces during the many campaigns which occurred from 1895 to 1902. There is also a clasp on the medal but what it is cannot be made out. The final medal suggests yet another aspect of Jones' service but would also refute the 1918 photograph date. If the identification of the award is correct, it is the Territorial Efficiency Medal which was established in 1921. This medal recognized non-commissioned officers who had a minimum of 12 years of service in the Territorial Army (formally the Territorial Force) and attended 12 annual training camps. In 1908, the Royal Welch Fusiliers was converted into a Territorial Force (TF) and it entered World War One as a TF. The South Wales Borderers, which the 24th. Regiment of Foot was renamed to on July 1, 1881, was also converted to a Territorial Force in 1908. Thus, at some point, Jones likely transferred to the Royal Welch Fusiliers from the South Wales Borderers prior to the start of World War One. If this is correct, then Jones would have earned his 12 years of service in the Territory Force by 1920 though wartime service counted double. Regardless, the medal was not issued until 1921 and the previous award, the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, does not match the ribbon seen here. If, indeed, the photograph was taken in 1921, then Jones was 61 and may have already been retired from service assuming the military retirement age was 60. As a side note, the white strap across his chest is for a drum.
Jones married Alice Evans in 1898, becoming a step-father to her four children. He passed away at the age of 72 on August 12, 1931 in Welshpool, Wales and was buried with full military honors at Saint Mary's Church in Welshpool, Powys, Wales.
Sergeant Evan Jones (Royal Welch Fusiliers)
Sergeant Evan Jones of the Royal Welch Fusiliers poses in front of a British Ordnance QF 4.5in. light howitzer. The photograph is said to have been taken in 1918 and at that time, he was 59 years old. In 1914, the average age of a British soldier was in the early 30s but by 1918, this average dropped significantly. As such, Sergeant Jones had many years on his peers. While his age wasn't completely unusual as by 1918, men up to 51 could be conscripted into service, his history as a soldier certainly was.
Born Patrick Cosgrove in 1859, he was raised in Bedwellty, a parish in Monmouthshire, South Wales. At the age of 18, he enlisted in the British Army on July 20, 1877 under the alias Evan Jones. Jones was assigned to B Company, 2nd. Battalion, 24th. Regiment of Foot (2nd. Warwickshire) with the rank of Private. Within two years, both the 1st. and 2nd. Battalion from the 24th. Regiment of Foot were sent to South Africa in 1879 to take part in the invasion of the Kingdom of Zulu which was ruled by Cetshwayo kaMpande. The history behind the invasion is long but in summary, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, the High Commissioner for Southern Africa, issued an ultimatum to King kaMpande that Frere knew from the outset would not be agreed to and thus gave him the pretext to launch the invasion against the Zulu. The Kingdom of Zulu had approximately 35,000 fighting men. The majority of these men were armed with iklwa (thrusting spears), clubs, and cowhide shields. King kaMpande had sought to modernize his army but only a small portion were armed with firearms, namely antiquated muskets and some rifles. Many Zulu warriors saw the usage of firearms as being without honor and cowardly as one could kill without being in hand-to-hand combat. The first significant battle of the Anglo-Zulu War was the Battle of Isandlwana which took place on January 22, 1879 and it was a crushing defeat of the British invasion force which included one company from Jones' battalion. Despite being equipped with modern weapons, the 1,837 troops which made up two of the five invasion prongs simply could not cope with the massed Zulu warriors which numbered between 10,000 to 15,000. In the end, over 1,300 British troops were killed and the remainder were routed, retreating back towards a British post that had been set up at kwaJimu, famously known as Rorke's Drift.
Situated near a drift on the Mzinyathi River at the border of the British colony of Natal and the Kingdom of Zulu, Rorke's Drift was a former trading post that was utilized by the British invasion force as a supply depot and field hospital. The main defense of Rorke's Drift was provided by A Company and B Company of 2nd. Battalion, 24th. Regiment of Foot. On January 22, 1879, between 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors, against orders, launched an attack against the British at Rorke's Drift. The British stationed at the post were already aware of the defeat at Isandlwana and many of those retreating forces did not stay at Rorke's Drift. Since the hospital was in use, evacuating the post into open terrain meant being overtaken by the swifter Zulu attackers and so it was decided to stay and defend. At 4:20pm, 100 auxiliaries of the Natal Native Horse briefly engaged the Zulu vanguard before up and abandoning the fight, leaving only 140 British soldiers, Jones included, left to battle the Zulu. From the first contact by the Natal Native Horse until 7:00am on January 23, the British held out against the Zulu, killing 351 Zulu warriors and wounding another 500 for the loss of 17 killed and 15 wounded. The British started the battle with 20,000 rounds of ammunition and when it was over, only 900 rounds remained. A total of eleven Victoria Crosses for valor were awarded to soldiers involved in the fighting of which seven of them when to soldiers of the 2nd. Battalion. The Anglo-Zulu War would continue until July 4, 1879, ending in a British victory and the annexation of the Kingdom of Zulu.
Jones would see further action with the 2nd. Battalion in Burma during the Third Anglo-Burmese War which ran from November 7 through November 29, 1885. This conflict, the last of the battles between the Burmese and the British, ended in a Burmese defeat. This defeat saw Burma lose its sovereignty and become a province of India under the rule of the British Raj.
It is unknown when Jones transferred into the Royal Welch Fusiliers though it is believed he did so prior to World War One. How much action he saw is also not known but the Royal Welch Fusiliers saw significant combat throughout World War One in multiple theaters, earning no less than 77 battle honors. On his chest, Jones is wearing three medals that signified his pre-war combat service. The medal nearest the button line is the South Africa Medal, instituted on August 1, 1880. Better known as the Zulu War Medal, Jones has a clasp on the ribbon and although it is impossible to see what the date is on it, it all likelihood, the date would be 1879 to reflect his participation in the Anglo-Zulu War. The second medal hints that he likely transferred into the 1st. Battalion, 24th. Regiment of Foot which was deployed to British India in 1892. The award appears to be the India Medal which was instituted in 1896 to recognize British and Indian forces during the many campaigns which occurred from 1895 to 1902. There is also a clasp on the medal but what it is cannot be made out. The final medal suggests yet another aspect of Jones' service but would also refute the 1918 photograph date. If the identification of the award is correct, it is the Territorial Efficiency Medal which was established in 1921. This medal recognized non-commissioned officers who had a minimum of 12 years of service in the Territorial Army (formally the Territorial Force) and attended 12 annual training camps. In 1908, the Royal Welch Fusiliers was converted into a Territorial Force (TF) and it entered World War One as a TF. The South Wales Borderers, which the 24th. Regiment of Foot was renamed to on July 1, 1881, was also converted to a Territorial Force in 1908. Thus, at some point, Jones likely transferred to the Royal Welch Fusiliers from the South Wales Borderers prior to the start of World War One. If this is correct, then Jones would have earned his 12 years of service in the Territory Force by 1920 though wartime service counted double. Regardless, the medal was not issued until 1921 and the previous award, the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, does not match the ribbon seen here. If, indeed, the photograph was taken in 1921, then Jones was 61 and may have already been retired from service assuming the military retirement age was 60. As a side note, the white strap across his chest is for a drum.
Jones married Alice Evans in 1898, becoming a step-father to her four children. He passed away at the age of 72 on August 12, 1931 in Welshpool, Wales and was buried with full military honors at Saint Mary's Church in Welshpool, Powys, Wales.