FAMILY LIFE

Clifford George Ambrose Jones was born in 1885 in New Southgate, London. He was the son of parents Ambrose & Louisa Jones (nee Appleton). The 1891 England Census recorded Clifford G A Jones as a 6-year-old, living with his family at Clifton Villa, Avenue Road, Edmonton, Middlesex, England. His parents were listed as Ambrose Jones (Jeweller, aged 33, born Holloway, Middlesex) & Louisa Jones (aged 35, born Holloway, Middlesex).

Clifford was the third born child, and eldest son, of five children listed on this Census (all born New Southgate, Middlesex) – Mabel L. Jones (Scholar, aged 9), Ethel M. Jones (Scholar, aged 8), Clifford G. A. Jones (Scholar, aged 6), Hilda L. Jones (Scholar, aged 5) then Stuart. Also listed was Charlotte Panter (General Domestic Servant, aged 20).

The 1901 England Census recorded Clifford Jones as a 16 years old jeweller as a 13-year-old, living with his family at Oakfield, Lyonsdown Rd, East Barnet, Hertfordshire, England. His parents were listed as Ambrose Jones (Jeweller, aged 44) & Louisa Jones (aged 46). Clifford was one of seven children listed on this Census – Mabel (aged 19), Ethel (aged 18), Hilda (aged 15), Stuart (aged13), Leslie (aged 8, born New Southgate, Middlesex) & Norman (aged 6, born New Southgate, Middlesex). Also listed was Janet Blakey (Domestic Servant, aged 25).

His brothers also served

·        1133 Gunner Leslie Trevor Jones, 6th Field Artillery Brigade, returned to Australia, 22 July 1919.

·      1878 Stewart Harold Jones killed in action 14 April 1918

APPLICATION

Clifford enlisted on 7^th September 1915 at Brisbane as a private in the 47^th Battalion. He was a single man, a farmer living with his father and his two brothers on a farm in Mooball. His next of kin, his mother, was living in England with his sisters. He was 5ft 7 in (1.7m) and weighed 137lbs (62kgs) with a fresh complexion, blue eyes, and black hair. He had a vaccination scar on his left arm & pitted scars on his chest. He was Church of England.

The Examining Medical Officer stated that Clifford “can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service.”  On the second page of the Attestation Paper, he made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Clifford George Ambrose Jones, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War … SO HELP ME, GOD.” 

AUSTRALIAN TRAINING CAMP

Clifford now had months of training to get him ready for his “adventure”. Firstly, a recruit had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service.

It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave

Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience in France.

The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.

This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, was soon tested in the harsh reality of the front line.

The recruits were issued with their uniform: a khaki woollen jacket, heavy cord breeches and the famous slouch hat – turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge. A soldier’s equipment also included a dixie (mess tin), water bottle, mug, .303 Lee-Enfield rifle and bayonet.

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

He embarked at Brisbane, Queensland aboard HMAT Kyarra on 3 January 1916. The epic voyage across the ocean has been described as “the longest journey to war in the history of the world.” They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. On-board, Officers organised rigorous training drills and exercise sessions for the men. They were expected to do their own washing, sweep the decks and carry out other chores

Attempts at breaking up the boredom, apart from the regular drill, varied. Shipboard activities included regular church parades and concerts. Troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection. Sports and recreation included boxing, deck quoits, draughts. Also, the commanding officer's morning inspection; kit inspections; submarine drill; recreation such as the on deck 'open air' library, deck billiards, pillow fighting and card games including Nap. As well, conditions on the ships were cramped and the risk of illness was constant. 

Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. Many of the troops experienced bouts of seasickness on the voyage. The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.

EGYPTIAN TRAINING CAMP

He arrived in Alexandria on 19 February 1916. He now had another few months of training. They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons.  Later, as soldiers specialised in a particular area (for example, machine gunner or signaller) they would be trained in specific skills and would take part in practice manoeuvres and sham fights. They would spend many hours learning training in the use of bayonets, anti- gas training and guard duty along with lectures on camouflage or trench warfare and much more. Training would normally last 3 months.

Training would be for eight hours a day six days a week. All day long, in every valley of the Sahara for miles around the Pyramids of Giza were groups or lines of men advancing, retiring, drilling or squatted near their piled arms listening to their officer. For many of the battalions many miles of desert had to be covered in the morning and evening to and from their allotted training areas. At first, to harden the troops, they wore full kit with heavy packs. Their backs became drenched with perspiration, and the bitter desert wind blew on them as they camped for their midday meal and many deaths from pneumonia were attributed to this cause.

WESTERN FRONT & TRENCH WARFARE

Clifford joined the 47^th Battalion in Serapeum on 1^st April 1916 and his unit were then transferred to France on 9 June 1916 where the 47th entered the trenches of the Western Front for the first time on 3 July. The soldiers now found themselves fighting the German in trench warfare. On the Western Front in 1914–1918, both sides constructed elaborate trench, underground, and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, protected from assault by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties. Trench warfare created a living environment for the men which was harsh, stagnant, and extremely dangerous. Not only were trenches constantly under threat of attack from shells or other weapons, but there were also many health risks that developed into large-scale problems for medical personnel. Apart from the inescapable cold during the winters in France & Belgium, trenches were often completely waterlogged and muddy, and crawling with lice and rats

The time soldiers spent in the trenches varied depending on factors like their army's rotation system and the intensity of the conflict in their sector. On average:

·      Front-line trenches: Soldiers typically remained here for about 4–6 days at a time. This was where the fighting was most intense and the conditions were the harshest.

·      Support and reserve trenches: After time on the front line, soldiers were rotated to these positions for around 6–12 days. These trenches were set further back and offered slightly better conditions.

·      Rest periods: Soldiers were then moved away from the trench system entirely for rest, training, and recovery, often lasting several weeks, depending on operational needs.

The rotation system helped prevent complete physical and mental exhaustion, but the constant dangers of trench life meant there was rarely any true respite.

BATTLE OF POZIERES AUGUST 1916

It participated in its first major battle at Pozieres. Initially, the battalion provided working parties during the 2nd Division's attack on 4 August, and then, with its own division, defended the ground that had been captured. The 47th endured two stints in the heavily-contested trenches of Pozieres, as well as a period in reserve.

HOSPITALISATION TONSILITIS NOVEMBER 1916

On 26^th November 1916 Cliff contracted tonsilitis and originally was nursed in the field. He was then sent to England where he stayed till January 1917. 

HOSPITALISATION VENEREAL DIEASE JANUARY 1917

He was given furlough but returned to hospital 29 January with venereal disease. The sense of adventure, the loneliness, and the loss of family life that overwhelmed many of the overseas volunteers during the First World War often found them on leave in large cities or small towns where alcohol and women were plentiful, and a lack of available prophylaxis allowed the spread of diseases such as gonorrhoea and syphilis to reach epidemic levels. Historians claim that the average incidence rate for this disease in the AIF was around 12 per cent

Treatment for VD was a punishment in its own right. Special hospitals for VD patients were set up and often regarded as deterrent. Patients would be treated with Salvarsan and mercury which offered uncomfortable and sometimes serious side effects such as jaundice and convulsions. Other treatments included irrigation, which was painful and undignified resulting in many men to opt for chemical treatment instead. These long and uncomfortable stays in VD hospitals often averaged between 50 and 60 days, with most patients recovering and returning to the front. Clifford was hospitalised for 48 days

NO 1 COMMAND POST

When soldiers who had been in hospital for some time are discharged, they are marched into command posts. Clifford went to No 1 command post in Wareham. Here he would convalesce but continue with drilling & training as the technology and techniques were rapidly changing and soldiers had to be up to date when they were ready to rejoin their units. For soldiers in France and Flanders, in particular, training became wholly focused on the prevailing conditions of trench warfare, and on the Allied position of taking the offensive.

REJOINED UNIT MAY

BATTLE OF MESSINES JUNE 1917

He rejoined his unit on 4th May 1917 and continued fighting the Germans. On 7 June 1917, the 47th Australian Infantry Battalion took part in the Battle of Messines on the Western Front in Belgium, one of the most significant and successful set-piece battles fought by the British Empire forces. The objective was to capture the Messines Ridge, a strategically important high ground south of Ypres held by the Germans. The attack was preceded by the detonation of 19 enormous underground mines, creating one of the largest man-made explosions in history at that time.

The 47th Battalion was in the initial assault wave, tasked with advancing behind the exploding mines and capturing German front-line positions. The mines devastated German defences, allowing the 47th and other units to push forward and seize key objectives with relatively fewer initial losses than in previous battles. The 47th helped secure the Green Line—one of the primary objectives laid out for the day.

WOUNDED IN ACTION

One of the casualties of the day was Clifford who was wounded in action with a gunshot wound to his left arm on 7^th June 1917.  

HOSPITALISED ENGLAND

He was admitted to Grove Military Hospital, Tooting on 29^th June 1917.

FURLOUGH & TRAINING PERHAM DOWNS COMMAND POST

Clifford was granted furlough from 4^th August to 18^th August then attend training at Perham Downs. While in the camp he had dental work done. He rejoined his unit in Belgium on 30^th September 1917

BATTLE OF PASSCHENDAELE OCTOBER 1917

WOUNDED IN ACTION

He was again wounded in action with a gunshot wound to the right thigh on 12^th October, the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele which was another Allied attempt to gain ground around Passchendaele. Heavy rain and mud again made movement difficult and little artillery could be brought closer to the front. Allied troops were exhausted and morale had fallen and & Clifford was among the 13,000 allied soldiers who were casualties of this attack

HOSPITALISED OCTOBER 1917 & COMMAND POST

He was admitted to the 1^st South African General Hospital in Abbeville on 13^th October 1917. On 7^th November he attended the command post for convalescence & training and on 27 November 1917 he rejoined his unit in France

BETWEEN NOVEMBER 1917 & MARCH 1918

Between November 1917 and March 1918, the 47th Australian Infantry Battalion experienced a transition period on the Western Front, moving from heavy combat into a relatively quieter phase of the war—yet still facing danger.

NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 1917

POST-PASSCHENDAELE RECOVERY:

The 47th Battalion had just endured the brutal Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) in Belgium, particularly fighting at Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele in October. By November, they were withdrawn from the front line for rest, reinforcement, and training in rear areas of Flanders. Soldiers contended with cold, wet, and muddy winter conditions. Disease and trench foot were common.

DECEMBER 1917 – JANUARY 1918

WINTER ROUTINE IN FLANDERS:

The battalion took turns holding defensive sectors in the Messines–Ploegsteert area of Belgium. This was a "quiet" sector, meaning limited major offensives, but still dangerous due to patrols, artillery fire, and raids. They conducted trench maintenance, local raids, and reconnaissance.

FEBRUARY – MARCH 1918

ROTATION AND REDEPLOYMENT:

The 47th remained in Belgium early in 1918.

They continued alternating between front-line trench duties and rest billets. In March 1918, the Germans launched their massive Spring Offensive (Operation Michael) further south on the Western Front.

As a result, the 47th and the rest of the 4th Division were moved south into France, preparing to counter the German advance around Amiens and the Somme region.

BATTLE OF DERNACOURT MARCH 1918

On 28 March 1918, the 47th Australian Infantry Battalion was engaged in intense combat near Dernancourt, a village on the Somme River in France. This action was part of the broader Allied response to the German Spring Offensive (Operation Michael), which had commenced on 21 March 1918. The German forces launched a significant attack on the Allied lines around Dernancourt on 28 March. The 47th Battalion, as part of the 12th Brigade, 4th Australian Division, was positioned in the front line and bore the brunt of this assault

WOUNDED IN ACTION 28^TH MARCH 1918 3^rd OCCASION

Clifford was again wounded in action for the 3^rd occasion but remained at duty.

SECOND BATTLE OF DERNACOURT APRIL 1918

On 5 April 1918, the 47th Australian Infantry Battalion was engaged in the Second Battle of Dernancourt, a pivotal confrontation during the German Spring Offensive on the Western Front in France.

On the morning of 5 April, German forces launched a significant assault, known to them as Unternehmen Sonnenschein (Operation Sunshine). They managed to breach the railway embankment by forcing their way under a bridge, outflanking the Australian posts along it, and penetrating between the 12th and 13th Brigades. The forward battalions of both brigades were compelled to retreat to their support positions, and for a time, even their supporting artillery was under threat.

Despite the initial German gains, the 47th Battalion and neighbouring units mounted a determined defence, ultimately halting the German advance. The battle was intense and resulted in significant casualties

MISSING IN ACTION 5^TH APRIL 1918

Clifford was reported as missing 5 April 1918.

COURT OF ENQUIRY OCTOBER 1918

As soon as possible after a battle/action a court of Inquiry was held to determine what had happened to all ranks within the battalion. All soldiers were then listed and what happen was ascertained to the best of the knowledge of the men involved. This was not always possible to confirm those missing unless they were seen by a survivor to be killed or wounded. In many cases those listed as missing and were not on the hospital or PoW reports from the Red Cross or from the Enemy either German or Turkish were declared dead. The actual date of death was not determined until they made all enquiries and this process could take a few days to many months.

PREVIOUSLY LISTED MISSING IN ACTION NOW POSTED KILLED IN ACTION 5^TH APRIL 1918

On 22 October 1918 a court of enquiry was held and the verdict it reached was that Clifford was killed in action 5 April. 1918. An eye witness account by a fellow soldier, Pte Carey, was taken and stated “I was alongside Pte Jones in a shell hole when I was wounded by shell fire. I am unable to state definitely what happened to him, but I think he was probably badly wounded and taken prisoner. Our party consisted of seven men and I only know of one person beside myself who made it to the dressing station.” 

FOR HIS SERVICE

Clifford is memorialised at Adelaide Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France, plot 3, row A grave 5. His name is located at panel 143 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial. For his service, Clifford was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Tumbulgum First World War Honour Roll and Murwillumbah War Memorial. His Memorial Scroll & Memorial Plaque were received by his mother on 24^th November 1922

Clifford had made a will where he left all his worldly goods to his mother, Louise Jones, of North Finchley, London. In the event of her dying before him he divided it between his sisters Mabel & Hilda.

If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.