Ashtead War
Memorials - WWI - Lt Benedict Henry Melvill Jones
Royal Air Force
Benedict Jones, senior, born at Babbington, Cheshire, trained at Lincoln’s Inn before being called to the Bar. He married Henrietta Cornelia Bennett on the Wirral during the summer of 1886 and their first son Bennett Melville Jones was born at Birkenhead on 28 January 1887. In 1894, he was practising as a Barrister at Law from 18 Harrington Street, Liverpool.
A younger son, Benedict HM Jones did not arrive until 17 August 1897 [birth registered Birkenhead 9/1897] when the family was living at Rock Ferry. He gained an education at Birkenhead School between 1907 and 1915, becoming head of House & School, Sergeant in the Cadet Corps and Captain of the Football XV before winning an Exhibition in Mathematics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
An obituary in Memorials of Old Berkonians, 1914-1918, accompanied by a photograph, explains that: -
| “In
April 1916 he obtained a commission in what was then the
Royal Flying Corps, and went to France in August of the
same year. In November he was wounded, and returned to England, and after some time was posted to Orfordness Experimental Station, where he soon became the best experimental pilot on the station. He went twice again to France, once with his brother, Major B. M. Jones*, to do some flying to test various instruments under actual war conditions. It was some months later, on his return to England, that he was killed [14th April 1918].He had gone up in a very high wind to try some experiments and, when attempting to land, something went wrong and the machine 'crashed.' No one knows what was the cause, but all are agreed that he could not possibly have made a mistake, his control over the machine being so complete. One who knew him better than most said
of him: - 'The real record of his life is in the hearts
of all who knew him. I know of no exception; every one
loved him and thought him absolutely alone in his powers
and character.' ” |
 |
Flight Global reported Lieutenant Benedict Henry Melvill Jones (“Tops”) death, referring to his parents’ residence at that time in The Red House, [Skinners Lane,] Ashtead, Surrey. He is buried in St Bartholomew's Churchyard, Orford.
Benedict Jones senior, lived on until 26 May 1941, attaining the age of 86.
*Professor Sir Bennett Melvill Jones (1887-1975) was Francis Mond Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Cambridge from 1919 to 1935. He demonstrated the importance of streamlining in aircraft design. He had been educated at Birkenhead School and Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
After completing the Mechanical Science Tripos in 1909 he was employed in aeronautical research at the National Physical Laboratory, Cambridge. In 1913, he joined W. Armstrong Whitworth and Company, and went on to the Royal Aircraft Establishment the following year. During World War I, Jones qualified as a pilot, serving as a gunner for some weeks in a Bristol Fighter with his brother as pilot and as an observer with No. 48 Squadron,Royal Air Force. After a stint with the Technical Department of the Air Ministry in 1918, he became the Francis Mond Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at Cambridge University, a chair he held from 1919 to 1959. Jones served with the Ministry of Aircraft Production from 1939 to 1945 and was chairman of the Aeronautical Research Council from 1943 until 1947. Jones authored numerous papers and reports on aerodynamics. He was knighted in 1942 for his work in aeronautics and service to England.
text Brian Bouchard: if you can add to this page please contact the editor
page added 31 Mar 2009