1914-1918 First World War Centenary

25 October 2018

“ALL YOU HAD HOPED FOR ALL YOU HAD, YOU GAVE”

Thomas Cyril Nicholls-Jones is recorded on our original First World War memorial as CN Jones (an error which appears on his grave registration report), which suggests that he may have been better known by his second name, Cyril. This was a common practice in farming families where the son often took his father’s first name.  A report of his death in the Illustrated London News 25 August 1917, together with a photograph, remembers him as Lt. C. Nicholls-Jones.

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0001578%2f19170825%2f053

Cyril was born on 19 April 1887 to Anna and Thomas Nicholls-Jones  (sometimes recorded as Thomas N Jones).  In the 1901 and 1911 census the family were at Penrhos, Llangefni, Anglesey where his father was a land agent.  

Cyril Nicholls Jones attended Harper Adams from 20 July 1905 to 6 April 1906.  In 1911, at the age of 23, he was recorded as an Assistant Estate Agent at Pentraeth, Anglesey, a forerunner of our present REALM alumni.   

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000271%2f19140114%2f049

The Liverpool Echo of 14 January 1914 records his father’s sudden death:

Mr T. Nicholls Jones, agent for the Anglesey estate of Lord Boston, left his home at Penrhos, Llangefni last Thursday in his usual state of health to visit his sister who was seriously ill at Manchester. He himself was taken bad yesterday after his arrival and passed away. The deceased gentleman who was about sixty-six years of age, succeeded his father as Lord Boston’s agent some forty years ago. At one time he served several years on the County Council . He was a Churchman and a Conservative. Mr. Jones leave a widow, a son, and three daughters. The funeral, which will be [a] public one for men only, will take place on Friday at half-past one o’clock.

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000271%2f19140114%2f049

It was not unusual for funerals to be a men only event in those days, so Cyril may well have been the chief mourner at the service, representing his mother and sisters.

Cyril Nicholls-Jones served with the 14th Bn., Royal Welsh Fusiliers and was killed in action at Pilkem Ridge on 31 July 1917, age 30

He is remembered with honour at the Dragoon Camp Cemetery (B34), Belgium

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/100547/nicholls-jones,-thomas-cyril/

Photographs of men remembered at this cemetery, including T C Nicholls-Jones, can be seen here:

https://www.ww1cemeteries.com/dragoon-camp-cemetery.html

Dragoon Camp was a little south of the Boesinghe (now Boezinge)-Pilckem road. The site was taken by the 38th (Welsh) Division on 31 July 1917 and the cemetery, called at first the Villa Gretchen Cemetery, was begun by the 13th Royal Welch Fusiliers on 9 August. It continued in use until October 1917. Dragoon Camp Cemetery contains 66 First World War burials, ten of them unidentified.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/9601/dragoon-camp-cemetery/