And with this Private Jones was brought back to his starting-point. He
simply blushed when reference was made by the interviewer to some of
the things that have been said and some of the eulogies passed upon
his prowess. He admitted that he was filled with pride when he was
ushered into the presence of the King to receive his decoration. "I was
a bit flustered at first," said "Todger," "but His Majesty made me at
home. One of the first things he said to me when the record was read
was, 'How the dickens did you do it, Jones?' I won't tell you what I
answered on the spur of the moment, but the King laughed, and so did I.
'It was just my luck,' I said to His Majesty. 'I was like a man with
his back against the wall, and I kept my head.' And then I gave him an
idea how the thing had been done, and he laughed at the thought of me
fetching home my happy little family."
Throughout the recital Private Jones made no secret of the fact that
his nickname is "Todger."
"Why 'Todger'?" I inquired, and the V.C. man chuckled just as one may
imagine he chuckled when he remembered the pantomimic hold-up.
"I was afraid you'd come round to that," said he, "but there it is, and
there's no getting away from it. I was 'Todger' at school, and 'Todger'
followed me to France. It's like this. As a boy at school I played
football, and I suppose I was a bit tricky or artful when it came to
dribbling. My school-fellows nicknamed me 'Dodger,' but my front name
is Tom, and it wasn't long before it was 'Todger' this and 'Todger'
that. It was 'Todger' with everybody at the Front, and lots of 'em
seemed to know me by no other name."
Runcorn feels itself honoured by Jones's wonderful prowess. Thousands
of people met him upon his return; a marble tablet is to record his
deeds. His employers have provided his parents with an annuity of fifty
pounds per year, he has received a gold watch, an illuminated address,
framed photographs, a smoker's cabinet, a silver wrist-watch, a silver
teapot, a case of cutlery, field-glasses, and a host of other things.
He has also had a civic reception at Chester, been entertained at
dinner by the Cheshire Regiment, chaired round the Castle square, and
been photographed and filmed.