PC 119 William Arthur JONES, Swansea Borough Police.Lance Corporal 49094, 101st Field Company, Royal Engineers.

William Arthur JONES was born in Birmingham in 1881. It appears he had served with the police before he moved to the South Wales area as his photograph indicates it was taken by a Birmingham photographer. In any event, by the time of the Census of 1911 he was living at 6 Rutland Street, Swansea, with his wife Elizabeth Laura who had been born in Haverfordwest and their daughter, Florence Ena, who was then 16 months old.
William joined the Royal Engineers at the start of the war but did not see active service. The 101st Field Company, with whom he served, was attached to the 23rd Division during the early months of 1915 and he was based in Kent where the Division were engaged in constructing defences in areas to the south of London. It is likely that, whilst engaged in this work, that William met his death on the 7th May 1915.
The 'Herald of Wales' newspaper reported on the 22nd May 1915 that the Swansea Police Watch Committee passed a vote of condolence with the family of PC JONES who it was stated 'was fatally injured by the collapse of a bridge at Sellindge in Kent'. It was also stated that the Chief Constable was to report further with regards to a pension.William is buried in the churchyard of St Mary's in Sellindge. He is also commemorated on the First World War Memorial Tablet in Swansea Central Police Station.

Otto Grotschel