Pressed--and it should be understood that the man whose deed Sir
Frederick Norman has described as "big stuff" was terribly reluctant to
speak of himself--pressed to recount some other vivid experiences which
have been hinted at, Private Jones was compelled to admit that on two
or three other occasions prior to the capture of the hundred and two
Germans he had been promised special mention, but the officers who had
noted him were killed before the opportunity of recommending him for
honours arose.
"It isn't every heroic deed that is noticed," said the soldier. "Many's
the chap who earns the V.C. who never gets a 'Thank you.' Every lad out
there is winning, though not receiving, glory; they are brave, noble,
clean-fighting, staunch and true men, and if they haven't had my luck
they've deserved it.
"But if you want to know what further part I have played in this war,
and my preparation for the big slaughter, I may say I was an old
Volunteer of the Cheshire Battalion, and that the skill I acquired as
a marksman sixteen or seventeen years ago led to me being employed at
the Front as a sniper and bomb-thrower. By trade I am a fitter, and
am thirty-six years of age, and I tried to join the Engineers at the
outbreak of war, but as a Territorial Reservist was eventually posted
to the Cheshire Regiment, and found myself at the Front in January,
1915.
"Amongst the narrow shaves I have had may be included a bullet through
my pouch, the heel of my boot blown away, and an explosion of a shell
which lifted me ten yards in the air and lodged a piece of shrapnel in
my shoulder and another piece in my knee.
"Hill 60 was one of my hottest trials, and there I had my first
experience--second hand, fortunately--of the German poison-gas. We
had only been relieved the night before, and wanted a rest badly, but
at ten o'clock in the morning we received word that something had
happened at Hill 60, and it was up to us to try to set it right. We got
through Ypres town to the railway cutting, and there came under heavy
shellfire. Bad wasn't the word for it, for they were bowling the lads
over right and left, and as we got closer and closer their machine-gun
fire was mowing us down something cruel.
"Eventually we took cover in the railway cutting and met the Germans
coming along four deep. We received orders to charge, and cleared them
off the railway line, and then we had to start with the trenches. No
sooner had Colonel Scott given the word, as he stood by my side, than
he dropped mortally wounded. We didn't wait for further orders, for we
saw red, and cleared the second line of trenches. Then we made another
charge, and took the original trench, which had been held by the
Dorsets.
"There they sat, staring at us. 'Matey, you're relieved,' we said to
one, but there was no answer. 'There's some hot tea waiting for you
in Ypres,' we said to another. No answer. They were dead--gassed, and
we didn't know then of the diabolical device that had killed them. I
was one of forty-three that went out that night to bomb the Germans,
expecting that another regiment would take over the trenches from which
we had driven the enemy.
"We used up all our bombs, and the Germans began to bomb us in turn.
Our lieutenant was the only man with a revolver, and he used it until
he had no more ammunition left and was shot. All except three of us and
a corporal were either killed or wounded, and the corporal asked me if
I could lead them back. I did it, and reported to the company officer,
who said he had received reports on which he was going to recommend me
for honours. A brave officer--reported from that very day as missing,
as was the lieutenant.
"We also went through the Battle of St. Eloi, which lasted three
weeks. We were at Hill 60 when it was blown up, and we remained in the
trenches for twenty days, and after just one night out put in another
forty-three days, which constitutes a record either in the French or
British Army for continual fire-trench work. We were even reduced to
the necessity of sewing sandbags together to serve as a change of
'linen.' When the hill went up it was a sight one can never forget,
while the shelling of Ypres was more like a mighty firework display
than anything else."